A Hoof In Two Worlds

Chapters

What A World...
Return of the Fool
Confrontations
Fires of Love
Trials
War on the Horizon
Endless Love
A Wedding To Remember
Past & Present
Recovery
Training
Warzone
Prologue: An Unfortunate Event
Aftermath

What A World...

‘What a World’

“So, that little gypsy thinks a single boy, nor even from our world can defeat me? The fumes of her damn cauldron must be getting to her don’t you think?”

“That voice…Discord!”

As soon as Tory had passed out, he had felt something trying to get at him. It had felt evil, down to the core. Now he knew what it was. Since he couldn’t see, Tory had to rely on hearing alone. That upset him, because he was half-deaf. His left ear didn’t function properly, so he could only hear a bit from it. He theorized that since it was pretty much broken, the right ear had adopted a way to recover sounds the left picked up. The down side, it cut down sound that the right still received.

“In the chimera flesh!” the familiar voice spoke. “Do you know how hard it is to break into your mind? You really should leave a back door or something.”

“Why is it that everyone can suddenly read my thoughts? Is NOTHING private nowadays?!”

“Yeah that sounds about right. Anyways, are you gonna try to stop me? Please, don‘t answer that. We both know that you can‘t! Why not ditch those sorry excuses for ponies and join me? I can make it worth your while…”

Tory remembered what he had seen from the show. Discord had sent everyone through hell. It wasn’t until the Elements had blasted him with their rejoined powers while his guard was down that he had been returned to stone. Obviously, that still couldn’t keep him down.

“Sorry Discord, the offer is tempting, but I have no intention of going bad. It’ll remind me of someone I hate so much. And well, quoting a famous character, ‘Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to revenge. And that leads to the dark side.’ Sorry, but I have to listen to the old wise voice in my head.”

“Such insolence! I should burn you where you stand, if I could…You win this one, boy. Just remember, I‘ll be watching you.”

The voice of evil faded away, and Tory felt something poke his side. His eyes flew open, and found something pink poking him in the stomach. There were only two things that Tory knew were pink in My Little Ponies: Fluttershy’s hair, and Pinkie Pie. Since it wasn’t soft, it wasn’t hair…

“Let’s see if I deserve to be in Drama class…”

“U-Ugh! My head!” Tory said aloud, getting up. As he got to his knees, Tory was able to confirm his surroundings. He was about half a mile out of Ponyville with no one in sight. Well, almost no one…

“Hihihihihihihihihihihi!” Pinkie said, bouncing like a deranged female Tigger. “Who’re you? I’ve never seen you before! Why are you so different? You’re not from around here are you? Where are you from?”

Tory smiled at the barrage of questions. That was what he expected of Pinkie. He was about to respond when a sharp pain pierced his skull. Tory grasped his head, and fell back onto the ground. He heard Pinkie gasp, and then he heard the clatter of her dashing off.

“P-Please…Don’t…go.” He called out weakly. He tried reaching out to her, but his arms refused to move. The pain became unbearable, and Tory passed out…

I.I.I

“Zecora! What happened?!” Celestia said astonished as the tribal zebra came back through her portal. The small woman had been breathless when she had came back.

“The boy, he chose to follow me,” She said in gasps. “But the darkness tried to set him free. The evil, it was hard to flee. The only one to escape was me.”

“And the boy?” Celestia asked worriedly. She didn’t know him, but then again she didn’t know half of her subjects. But she still cared for them. “Is he okay?”

“I saw him in a field, away from here.’ Zecora rhymed once more. “The way to him is unclear. I will go back, and learn from today. I will prepare for the trial in some way.”

With that, Zecora dragged herself out of the room. Celestia, deeply concerned, called for two guards to escort the exhausted zebra. The moment Zecora opened the portal, the Hellfire Wave had died out. Only a great evil could have done this. Celestia had a feeling of who it might be, but she couldn’t be sure. She returned to her chambers, allowing sleep to overcome her.

I.I.I

“Oh, my! He IS sick! Thank you Pinkie Pie for coming to get me.”

Tory felt too weak to respond. He couldn’t breathe right, he couldn’t move. Discord must have done something to him. But he was not focused on that right now. The voice he had heard held his attention. It was a soft voice filled with kindness and care. There was only one pony Tory knew of that had that kind of voice: Fluttershy.

Tory put all of his energy into opening his eyes, and saw blurred shapes in front of him. The closest one was yellow with pink around it. He knew that shape, even if he couldn’t see it clearly. All he had to do was force his eyes to focus…

“Please, don’t move! Go back to sleep. You’re too weak to do anything.”

“Weak! I‘m so tired of being called that! Even Fluttershy thinks I‘m weak! Even in a new world, my life still sucks!”

“It seems that you fell a good ways, and then you received a major shock to your entire body.” Fluttershy said in her sweet voice. “You won’t be able to move for days. But don’t worry, I’ll nurse you back to health.”

Tory couldn’t have asked for a better doctor. She had treated many animals for a long time. And most of those said animals could be found in his world! He knew he was in good hooves.

“Pinkie,” Fluttershy was saying. “Go get Twilight, and tell her it’s an emergency. We have to move him to somewhere that I can treat him.”

Tory would’ve smiled at that, if he could. He felt so worn out, he couldn’t even understand his thoughts. He was amazed he could hear at all! Something touched his forehead, and Tory passed out…

When he awoke, Tory could actually feel something! His head and arms felt like the blood was rushing back into them after having been cut off. It felt like needles were stuck within his entire body.

“Oh goodie, it seems you’re awake.”

Tory managed to turn his head towards the voice, and opened his eyes. He was prepared to see Fluttershy, but not like this! She was even more beautiful in person than on a screen! Her body was not butter yellow, as most would think. Instead, Fluttershy was a golden yellow. Her eyes were a sharp blue, much like his. Her wings, folded gently at her side, made her look so much like a golden angel that had come to take his soul to Heaven.

“A-Are you…Th-the one that s-save m-me?” Tory asked weakly.

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said sweetly. “My friend Pinkie told me she found you outside town, and I rushed over there as fast as I could. I was so scared when I arrived! I thought maybe I had been too late. But then you opened your eyes, and I knew we could save you yet.”

Tory felt great inside. Fluttershy had been worried about HIM! No one ever gave a damn about him before! Realizing how quiet the room was, Tory broke the silence.

“M-my name…is Tory…What’s…yours?”

“Call me Fluttershy. Now please, get some sleep. You aren’t stable yet!”

He couldn’t argue with her. Letting her soothing voice lull him to sleep, Tory gave out one last sentence.

“F-Fluttershy…huh? Hehe…A rose…by any other…name is …just as sweet.”

The last thing Tory saw that day was Fluttershy blushing at the comment. He silently sent thanks to his old English teacher for the lessons on Shakespeare, and passed out.

I.I.I

The next two days had breezed by for Tory. He had slipped in and out of consciousness many times. It was as though someone was pressing the fast forward button on his TV remote. On the third day, Tory felt almost back to normal. He couldn’t walk for shit yet, but that could wait for as long as ever, if Fluttershy was by his side.

During his time with her, Fluttershy had managed to uncover a small black object made of leather from his body. When she opened it, she found what looked like photos of people like the strange boy., and some other paper-like objects. She had placed the strange things on a table near her patient, and let her mind wander over to just who he was. She had been by him for a few days now, and had come to enjoy his company, but all she had managed to get was his name.

“Ugn…I can’t wait to get my hands on him!” Tory said as he woke from his latest dream. It had been weird, to say the least. He had been playing pool with Discord. The guy was a good shot, Tory admitted that, but the guy just wouldn’t stop trying to recruit him. Tory had won the match when Discord had scratched on the eight ball while trying to use twisted logic. “I’m going to wring his furry neck!”

“T-Tory?”

The teen looked over at Fluttershy, who was trembling. He remembered how nervous she was normally. He knew it would take her a while to be comfortable around him, but he was willing to wait. He turned down the hate factor, and forced himself to sit up.

“I-I’m sorry Fluttershy.” He apologized. “Just thinking of a big jerk I know!”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said quietly. “How mean was he?”

Tory had been thinking of Discord, but he couldn’t tell Fluttershy that. What would she ask if he knew about the evil dictator? He didn’t want to lose the small amount of trust he had from her already. He instinctively switched back to Aaron, and told his crush everything about the guy.

“You could call me the target,” he was saying. “If there were a hundred better people to get, I’d always be the one he picked! He came at me from every corner, and he always tried to justify his treatment. I don’t know why he had it out for me! Probably because he knows I can’t defend myself…”

Tory sighed in defeat. He was glad to be away from all of his old troubles, but he felt hollow inside. He knew he missed his family and Grace.

“I wonder how they’re doing…” He whispered to himself.

Fluttershy had heard his low whisper. She knew she wasn’t meant to, but when it was the only sound in the room, you’re bound to hear it. She didn’t know much about Tory yet, but she wanted to. He had many of the same troubles she had, and so she felt she could connect with him on a slightly deeper level.

She turned to him, about to reassure him, when she saw a single tear streak down his face. It broke her heart to see anyone cry. She flew over to him, and wrapped her arms around him protectively. Tory tensed up as she did. Fluttershy thought that it must have been his nervousness that made him do so, but she was way off.

When you’re in love, you act strange. If the one you love just hugged you for no apparent reason, wouldn’t you be surprised? He didn’t try to break away though. It felt good to have a comforting presence like Fluttershy nearby.

“Tory, what it is like, where you come from?” Fluttershy asked delicately.

“…It’s so much different from this place,” Tory said, his anger rising at the thought of his school. “Humans are such hateful, detestable creatures. We destroy ourselves with each passing day, and are taking our world with us. I’m no exception. I’m to blame for a part of everyone’s troubles.”

“Humans?’ Fluttershy said in confusion. “I don’t think I’ve heard of that species. Is that what you are?”

“Yeah,” Tory said with snort. “But just because I am doesn’t mean I have to LIKE it. The path we now walk is paved with self destruction.”

“But it can’t be all bad,” Fluttershy said, trying to convince him. “Surely there must be some good?”

“Oh there are times I’m glad I’m alive,” Tory agreed. “But more often than not, I find myself wishing I was somewhere else. And wouldn’t you know it, I ended up here.”

“You don’t want to go back?”

“Shoot! I bet everyone else is better off without me!” Tory said, his eyes falling to the floor. “Dad doesn’t have to worry about taking care of a failure, all of my friends…heh, more like my TWO friends…They are probably finding others to spend time with.”

Fluttershy noticed another tear fall. She pressed herself against him once more. This time Tory didn’t tense up. She looked into his blue eyes, and saw so much pain there. Tory DID hate many things about his old life, but he still loved it. Mostly, it was just his family, Cory, and Grace.

“I’m pathetic!” Tory said cursing himself. “Even now, I can’t bear the thought of them being gone forever!”

“Who is it that you miss? Maybe I can send a letter to them?” Fluttershy suggested.

“It wouldn’t work,” Tory said, shaking his head. “I didn’t live in a place like this. I lived on a different world. There is no way to contact them…But it’s fine. I made the choice, so I’ll have to live with it.”

“Well,” Fluttershy started. “You don’t have to be alone this time. You have friends that you can share your burdens with. Never forget that.”

Tory smiled at her. The way she said it, in her honey sweet voice, with her blue eyes showing so much compassion, it just made Tory feel so warm inside. He felt his face getting hot and feigned curiosity in the room to distract himself.

“Tory?” Fluttershy asked. “Are you okay? Your face is turning red.”

He felt her place a hoof on his forehead, and his heart began to beat faster. He felt his face get even hotter, and tried to pull away. He found his body didn’t want to listen to him for once.

“You feel fine,” Fluttershy reassured him. “So I guess today I’ll show you around Ponyville. You can meet all of my friends…I mean um, our friends.”

Tory laughed in a kind way. He had only been here a few days, had only met two ponies, and already he had been accepted. The thought made a large smile creep up on his face, and a single tear fell down his face again.

“Wh-What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, seeing the tear. “Why are y-you crying?”

“I-it’s a tear of joy Fluttershy. I’m just…Oh I can’t explain it!”

Fluttershy nodded, and began to laugh in her gentle tone. She understood what Tory couldn’t say. From what he had told her about himself, Tory had never really been accepted, like her. Fluttershy had always felt out of it, even when she was with all of her friends.

“Heheheh…I’m glad,” she said. “You’ll enjoy meeting Twilight and them.”

Tory already knew about Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony, but Fluttershy didn’t know that. He knew how astute Rarity and Twilight could be, so he would have to be extra careful of what he said around them.

Tory and Fluttershy walked out of the door, and started down the path to Ponyville. They passed many ponies along the way, and each one of them looked at Tory with an expression that was a cross between curiosity and fear. He knew it was to be expected though, being an unknown creature within their home. Everyone, no matter what race, held a fear of the unknown.

As they came within a few feet of the town, Tory’s leg buckled, and he went down on his knees. He felt something inside him pulse, and it stole his breath away. As he clutched his heart with one hand, he felt a heavy weight come down on his shoulder. He turned his head, though it hurt way too much, and saw Fluttershy’s hoof was where the massive weight was. Her face showed so much worry, and it tore at Tory’s heart worse than his current pain.

The pulsing inside his chest began to speed up, until it blocked out all sounds. He saw Fluttershy call out to him, but without any oxygen, he couldn’t respond. He watched on in deep pain, just barely conscious as Fluttershy sent a random pony to go get someone. He couldn’t hear at all, but he could read lips. If he could guess, she had sent for Twilight.

Unable to withstand the searing pain that racked his body, Tory passed out once more.

I.I.I

As he opened his eyes, Tory knew he was in another dream. This time, he was in his school library’s computer lab. Desktop computers were lined up on the tables around the outer wall of the room. In the center were two medium sized tables, which was where he played Yu-Gi-Oh with his ‘dueling buddies’. He had anticipated Discord to be in this dream as well, and he was right. The evil monster held a deck of cards in one hand, and a rule book on how to play the game in another.

“Quite a strange game you humans have Tory,” the freaky creature said without looking at him. “But then again, I do so enjoy strange! Would you like to play a match with me? I think I have it down now.”

“At this again Discord? This is the fourth time!” Tory said in an exasperated tone. “But I do like the change to my old territory.”

“I thought you might,” Discord said with a grin. At least, Tory thought it was a grin. “I even brought you your old deck. You know, the good one.”

“Which one?” Tory asked in a joking manner, He knew which one it was, but he considered all of his decks good. “I have three.”

“The samurai one,” Discord said in a bored tone. “The only one capable of winning any matches.”

“Coming from the guy that just learned the game,” Tory countered.

“Want to see what I can do?” Discord sneered.

Tory sat down and began to shuffle his deck. After a few seconds he passed it over to Discord, who cut it, as rules indicated. They showed each other their bottom card, which would determine who would go first. Tory lost, and they started.

It took Tory ten minutes to trash the demonic entity. Ten minutes of toying with the guy. He didn’t enjoy toying with him, but he didn’t have a choice. Discord had set up a thick wall that Tory’s cards couldn’t get through. And when you can’t bust down the wall, you go around. Tory had finally won, with three cards on the field.

“You play a good game,” Discord said in a mock defeat voice. “But you can do better than this. Why don’t you just join me? I can give you anything you want!”

“Look Discord,” Tory said with a sigh. “I don’t want to rule this world. Not even a part of it! I just want a peaceful new life. Why don’t you? What is your obsession with ruling and chaos?”

“It’s a hobby of mine,” Discord said with no interest. “If I rule, then I get to do as I please, with no one to rebuke me. And it’s so much fun to see people struggle. Like you were doing a few minutes ago.”

“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Tory said with a start. “What the HELL is all that about?! Why do you delight in torturing me?”

“Because you won’t join me…And you are such a target!”

That struck a nerve. Tory was ALWAYS the target! He lowered his head as Discord began to laugh maliciously. He stood up, and clenched his fists. His face contorted into one of pure, unadulterated rage. He glared into the demon’s eyes, and shouted him down.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY MIND!!! YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS TO THE CURB!!!”

“Oh, and what will you do if I don’t? You’re too weak to do anything to me.” Discord said in a taunting voice.

“You forget one thing Discord,” Tory said, a wicked glint in his eyes. “This is MY mind! And I will do as I please!”

Tory moved his arm in a slashing manner, and his hand flashed for a second before a golden white broad sword appeared. He jumped onto his chair and kicked off, propelling him towards Discord. Having not expected an attack, Discord hadn’t moved. Tory swung his body in a 360* turn, and slashed, using the momentum from the turn to make the attack more deadly.

The golden sword tore through Discord like a hot knife on butter, splitting him into two halves. The bottom half dissolved, but the top stayed where it was, floating in mid air. Discord shook his head, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Listen well boy,” Discord’s voice echoed around the room and in Tory’s head. “I can make your life a living hell! You should know what I’m capable of by now. I’ll give you until the end of the week to reconsider. If you still refuse…I’m sure you get the picture.”

A bright light shone around Tory, blinding him. As he let himself be consumed, he felt hard ground on his back. The teen opened his eyes, and found himself within an inch of Fluttershy’s shockingly blue eyes. He felt his face burn red, and shut his eyes tight.

“Tory, you’re okay!” Fluttershy shouted quietly. She wrapped him in a hug, which made him blush uncomfortably. “I was sooo worried! You fell to the ground, a-and your temperature! You w-were burning up! I didn’t kn-know what to do! I just-”

“Easy Fluttershy, “ said a calm voice behind Tory’s crush. “He’s only just woken up. Let’s give him some room to breathe before we tackle him to the ground again.”

The voice that spoke up was Twilight, Tory knew that much. He was able to pick out many voices after having only seen a few episodes. Twilight walked up to Tory, and sat down in front of him. She extended one hoof, in a gesture of hello.

“A pleasure to mee you,” the purple pony said. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m a friend of Fluttershy’s.”

“Good to meet another friend of her’s,” Tory said politely, shaking her hoof. “My name is Tory.”

“Hmm, isn’t that a girls name?” Twilight asked curiously.

“It was the name my mother gave me when I was born,” Tory said calmly. He hated it when people called him a girl because of his name.. “I don’t really like to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Twilight said with a nod. “Anyways, are you okay now? I rushed over here as soon as I could when Derpy Hooves told me someone had collapsed in town.”

“Derpy Hooves! So THAT was what she was like!” Tory thought to himself, hoping that Twilight couldn’t read his mind like Zecora and Discord.

“Well other than a small migrain, I feel fine.” Tory said jokingly. “I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I-I don’t mind,” Fluttershy stammered out. Tory couldn’t resist a smile at her nervousness.

“Neither do I, “Twilight said. “And please, call me Twilight. Calling me by my full name sounds too formal. I mean, we’re all friends, aren’t we?”

“Friends…”Tory said with a sigh. “Do I really deserve such nice ponies as my friends?”

“Why would you think that?” Twilight asked. “Shouldn’t all friends be nice?”

Tory turned away, and Fluttershy whispered into Twilight’s ear. After hearing that, Twilight silently cursed herself for being so careless. Any friend of Fluttershy’s was a friend of her’s. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be like what Tory had for ‘friends’! By the sound of it, he only had two good ones.

“I apologize Tory” Twilight said calmly. “I didn’t realize…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tory said with a smile as he turned back to the two ponies. “I’m not there anymore, I’m here. I can’t live in the past.”

In truth, Tory wanted to live in BOTH worlds. The pain of being away from the few people that ever had any meaning to him crushed his spirit. Thinking about it just increased the pain. It would be a while before he could get over it. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, only to find it wasn’t there.

“Ah! My wallet, where’d it go?!” Tory shouted, scaring poth of his new friends. “I had it on me earlier! Did I drop it on the trail?!”

“D-Do you mean the b-black leather thing?” Fluttershy asked in fear. She didn’t like it when anyone shouted. “I f-found it on you when I was ch-checking you for any injuries. I put I-it on the t-table beside your b-bed. P-please d-don’t be mad!”

Tory closed his eyes, glad that it was safe. He let the anger seep out of him, and calmly looked at Fluttershy. He got down on one knee, and looked deep into her blue eyes. He could never be angry with with her, it was impossible to when he knew she was so innocent!

“Don’t worry Fluttershy, I’m not mad. I was just afraid of losing what little I had left of my family. Those pictures are now the last memories I’ll ever share with them.”

Fluttershy stopped trembling, and Tory got back up. He looked around, seeing a water fountain, a few stores and stands, and many homes. There was a group of ponies looking at him from a distance. He knew they’d be scared of him. He hoped that they would come to accept him soon.

“So this is Ponyville huh?” Tory asked Fluttershy. “It looks so peaceful.”

“Yes,” Twilight said walking up beside him. “We havent had any trouble since Discord tried to take over again.”

Tory tensed up at the demon’s name. He looked at Twilight,who was paying attention to a couple of fillies play in front of a blue house. He let his tension go, and turned towards her. He had to play the ‘I’m new to this place’ card.

“Discord? Who’s that?” Tory asked Twilight.

“He’s an evil demon that l-likes chaos,” Fluttershy said walking up to his other side. “He was sealed inside a stone statue, b-but he broke out. Twilight, the other Elements of Harmony and I turned him back into stone once more, and we’ve had peace ever since”

“Wow,” Tory said looking impressed at the two ponies. “I didn’t know you two were so important!”

“I-It was n-nothing,” Fluttershy said, studying a rock at her hoof. Tory thought it was so cute how she did things like that. “It was mostly Twilight and them that did it.”

“Oh come on Fluttershy,” Twilight said to the nervous pony. “We couldn’t have done it without you. You’re a vital part of our team.”

Tory looked at his two new friends, and laughed good naturedly. This got both Twilight and Fluttershy to laugh as well. After a few minutes, all three of them were out of breath, and Fluttershy broke the silence.

“Um, Twilight?” she asked. “Do you think you could help us with something?”

“I’m assuming it’s about our big friend here,” Twilight said with a smile. “Let’s go back to the library. We can talk in privacy there.”

As they walked through the town, Tory kept his eyes out for certain landmarks, so he could find his way through again. He noticed a very faimiliar building and stopped. The initial building was cream colored, but on the doors and windows it was purple. The roof looked to be gingerbread, with frosting around the edges. It was dotted with what looked like gumbrops, and it held a sign with a cupcake on it.

“Ah, noticed the Sugar Cube Corner did you?” Twilight asked amused, as she stopped beside him. “It’s a candy store, and where our friend Pinkie Pie lives. I think you’ve already met her.”

“I have? “Tory asked, faking confusion. He knew he had met mer, but they didn’t know that he already did. “Wait…She’s entirely pink isn’t she?”

Both Twilight and Fluttershy nodded.

“Well then, I think I should pay her a visit,” Tory said walking towards the shop. “If not for her, I’d most likely be dead.”

The two ponies nodded solemnly, and trotted up beside him. As he opened the door, Tory smelt baked goods immediately. Cake, cookies, taffy, and so many other delicious confections dotted tables around the first floor. At the counter, Tory saw a bouncing ball of pink, and he smiled. Walking up to the register, he pressed the bell that rested beside it. It rang out loud and clearly, grabbing Pinkie’s attention. The moment she saw Tory, she gasped and started to overload him with questions.

“Hey it’s you!” She said loudly. “How are you feeling? What happened to you back there? You never answered my questions before, where are you from? What’s you name? Hey, are you listening to me? Do you even speak our language?!”

Before she could get another word in edgewise, Twilight dashed over to her and covered her mouth. This had the effect of silencing her immediately. Fluttershy than told her about everything leading up to when they came here. When she finished, Pinkie stared up at Tory with a look of awe and pity. Tory didn’t like the second half of it.

“How sad,” she said quietly. Tory didn’t think she did quiet. “To be away from your family…maybe forever…”

The thought opened the wound once more, and he turned around so they wouldn’t see the tears. He felt something tighten around his waist, and upon looking down, saw that Pinkie had tried to hug him. He got down on his knees once more, and looked at all three ponies.

“Don’t worry Tory!” Pinkie said, her happy self again. “We’re gonna throw you a super, terrifically large, stupendously cool, amazing party! You’re our friend, and we don’t like to see our friends sad! So cheer up Mr.Pouty Pants!”

Tory smiled, and let a laugh escape. He couldn’t help it. Pinkie Pie had that effect on people! He fell back onto his butt, and stared at his friends. His NEW friends, that he had made in so short a time! Fluttershy, the kind pony that treated everyone so nicely, and the object of his affections. Twilight Sparkle, the genius and the only one he could probably go to if he had real trouble. And Pinkie Pie, the energetic one that could take the unhappiness out of anyone with such ease.

Looking at them, Tory couldn’t believe how hectic things had been these last few days. It made him wonder if he was actually insane, and just seeing things that he wanted to see. For all he knew, Tory could be in an insane asylum as the moment. But he couldn’t fake the pain he felt earlier, so insanity was out of the answer. He stared into his friends eyes, and asked them the one question that had followed him since the start of the day.

“Why are you all being so nice to me? Why go this far, just to help me? I never earned your respect, or showed you kindness, or anything! I don’t deserve such nice friends!”

All three ponies crowded around him, and gave him a long hug. It puzzled him that they would go to such lengths for someone they barely knew. They began to giggle, which confused him even more. It wasn’t until Fluttershy spoke up that he understood.

“Tory, friendship isn’t something earned, or given in return for kindness.” she said in her soft voice. “Friendship just is! We choose who we want to be friends with, and show them we care. We WANT to help you, we really do.”

“Yep-a-rooni!” Pinkie declared. “It’s no fun when there are sad ponies out there! Making them happy is what we do best!”

“That’s what friends do for each other,” Twilight said with a smile. “If somepony feels unhappy, it’s the job of their friends to bring them full circle. And you’re our friend, Tory.”

The teen couldn’t believe how much his life had changed! He smiled one of his biggest ever, and got off of the floor. Dusting off his pants, he looked down at his friends…Friends, it felt good to have those. Even if he WAS crazy, at least Tory could say he enjoyed the company of REAL friends. Not a bunch of assholes that treated him like a slave, or belittled him to boost their own self-esteem. These ponies actually cared about him.

“Okay okay,” Tory said in faux defeat. “You win, we’re all friends. Now are we gonna sit here on the floor all day and just waste a beautiful morning? I should think not!”

They all gave a cry of joy, and walked out of the store. There was no need to worry now. Today, Tory would spend it with his friends. But first, he wanted to meet the other ponies. It would be rude to not introduce himself to them.

“So,” Tory said looking at the ponies. “You guys have any more friends? I’d sure like to meet them!”

Tory easily knew all of their friends, but the ponies didn’t know that. As they looked at him, a smile on their faces, Tory knew he had it made. They walked eastward, until they came to a large, purple and pink building. It looked like a mini palace, decked out in drapery and fashionable embroidery. Tory knew without a doubt that this was where Rarity lived. Now he’d get to see why so many people fawned over her. It’s true, she had good taste. But Tory found her personality to be a bit…snobby. But only just a little.

Looking down, Tory noticed how crappy he looked. In the few days that he’d been here, he hadn’t gotten to take a shower. He was still wearing shorts, with his signature shirt on. It was a personal design of his. It contained many of his favorite anime characters, each in their own respective poses. Tory noticed how dirty he was. Dirt covered almost every part of him. He was amazed he wasn’t coughing with all of the dust on him. His hair was a mess, made even worse because he didn’t have his camo hat to cover it. His normally light brown hair was so caked in dirt, it appeared almost black.

“Great! I meet the ONE pony that cares about looks badly, and I‘m absolutely revolting! This is going to go SWELL!”

Before anyone noticed, Tory wiped off his hands on a slightly cleaner part of his shorts. Rarity was the most civilized of the team, and would prefer to shake hands/hooves if she met someone. He checked them, and saw they were almost presentable. He would’ve tried again, if the door hadn’t opened right then.

Rarity truly was gorgeous! Much more so in person than on a TV screen. Her body was not just white, it was snow white, like actual pure snow! Her cutie mark glittered, making it seem like she had real diamonds on her flank. Her purple mane sparkled, like she had just stepped out of the shower. He could detect a hint of lilac in the air, and knew she was wearing perfume. When she spoke, it was almost as soft and gentle as Fluttershy’s voice.

“Hello my dear friends!” She said happily. “What brings you to my comfy home? As if I had to ask! You’re here to get outfitted by the best artist in all of Equestria!”

Tory smiled. While she wasn’t modest, he could easily agree with her boast. Then again, he’d only seen dresses that she made, so it was easy to call her the best. But he still liked the designs that she made for everyone. They never covered the wearer, only enhanced their natural beauty. Every dress he had ever seen on Fluttershy had made her look stunning.

“Woah there Rarity,” Twilight said backing away. “We’re just here to introduce our friend Tory.”

Twilight indicated the now afraid teen behind her. As Rarity noticed him for the first time, her immediate thought was to show such disgust at his appearance. She had only held back because he was a friend of Twilight’s. As she looked closer at him, she saw underneath the dirt and grime, and saw that he looked decent. Without a second word, Rarity used her magic to drag the boy in. She immediately began to work on him, getting his measures, and placing him behind a changing curtain. She had never seen such a being! It was the perfect opportunity to get some new ideas for her designs!

Tory was grateful for the treatment she had given him. He had seen the look in her eyes when she noticed him. The disgust had been there, as he expected. What he hadn’t seen coming was her pulling him into the shop, getting measured for new clothes, and immediately stripped behind a curtain that he was QUITE grateful for. He wasn’t up for letting his new friends see him nude. Rarity used her magic to secretly get him into a shower, which he delightfully took a part of.

Rarity then began to work on a new style of clothing for the boy. She studied his current clothing, checking every detail. The design on the shirt was so-so, but that was the only thing that stood out. She immediately got her materials together and formed an idea for what she thought Tory should wear.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight were surprised at how sudden things changed. What had started off as a simple visit to a friend had turned into a strange event. Rarity had dragged Tory into the building, and instantly had everything she needed from him. She forced him into a different room, and had moved over to the sewing maching. It had taken her no more than three minutes to have something new for him.

“Um Rarity,” Fluttershy asked her friend. “What happened to Tory?”

“Oh no worries deary!” Rarity said in her formal tone. “I just sent him to the showers. He needed one badly by the looks of it. And I couldn’t just stand by while there was someone who needed my help!”

“You’re so kind Rarity,” Fluttershy said.

“Truthfully, I had been about to chase him out of town, he looked so badly!” Rarity confessed. “But at the mention that he was your friend, I knew I couldn’t do that! By the way, just what is he?”

“I’m a human,” came a voice behind them. Everyone turned to look at Tory, who was almost glowing with a clean vibe around him. He had a blush about him, and that was when it was seen he only had a towel on. Fluttershy had to admit he looked almost handsome once he was clean and groomed. “But you can call me Tory, that’s what everyone else does.”

“Oh, and he’s a comedian I see,” Rarity said with a glint of humor in her eyes. “Well Mr.Tory, you new clothes should be ready in a few minutes. Why don’t you be a darling and wait in the shower room?”

“Yes ma‘am,” Tory said with a smile. “But only because you asked so nicely!”

“Ohhh, humor AND manners! It’s so rare to find those nowadays!” Rarity said in pleasure. “Now if only he was one of us! He’d make you the perfect companion Fluttershy!”

“Wh-who me?” Fluttershy stammered, blushing. She was still so young, she didn’t really think about those things. “I-I don’t know…”

“Fluttershy,” Rarity said, her tone serious. “You aren’t actually falling for him, are you? Darling, he isn’t one of us!”

“But he’s so nice!” Fluttershy countered. She don’t know why, but she felt she had to defend him. “I mean um…He treats me so kindly, and we have so much in common…”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said standing up. ‘I agree with Rarity. You can’t go around liking him. Something is strange about him. Equestria goes through a terrible event that nearly destroyed us, and suddenly he appears? That isn’t a coincidence!”

“But what if you’re wrong?!” Fluttershy cried out. “What if he’s actually a good guy?! Why is that so hard to believe?!”

“Fluttershy darling,” Rarity said in a soothing voice. “No one is really what they seem. We all have something to hide from the world. I know this may seem shallow and biased, but he has to leave.”

As soon as the worlds left her mouth, Rarity knew she has said too much. Fluttershy dashed out of the building without another word. The room was eerily quiet, until Pinkie Pie broke the silence. Everyone forgot she was here, at least up until now.

“Fluttershy is right!” Pinkie shouted angrily. “You ponies are just a bunch of meanies! Rarity, you know what you said is a lie! I’m not hiding anything, and neither is he! How can you be so cruel?!”

Back in the shower room, Tory had heard most of the conversation. It started when he heard Fluttershy call out about how nice he was. That got his attention. He slowly became more upset as everyone tried to turn him into some kind of villain.

“Am I really that different?” Tory whispered to himself. “Am I so totally new to them that they can’t trust me at all? And what was that about a terrible event Twilight said? Something happened, and then Zecora came and got me…What is going on?”

Tory stayed where he was, and waited until Rarity told him he could come out. He found two pairs of clothes beside the changing screen. One was his old pair, the other was what Rarity made him. She had designed a silver shirt with gold embroidering around the hemlines. It fit him perfectly, as did the black pants that came with it. Tory was glad they were so loose, he knew that now he couldn’t stay here. If everyone didn’t trust him, he would just be endangering them along with him. He realized that he would have to play again, that he had no idea about their conversation earlier. He was starting to get good at faking. Grabbing his old clothes, Tory stepped out from behind the screen.

“How do I look?” He asked casually. He looked around, and noticed Fluttershy was gone. That hurt him most. She and Pinkie had been the only ones to defend him, but he didn’t feel that strongly towards the pink pony.

“Quite dashing!” Rarity said. Tory saw the look in her eyes, and knew how much she was forcing it.

“Even now, they can’t bear to just say it out loud to me! Why am I so WEAK?!"

“Hey, where did Fluttershy go?” Tory asked them. He was sure they didn’t know, but that didn’t matter. He knew that they would lie to him, which was fine. He was about to do the same thing, like he’d been doing.

“I think she went to check on her animal friends,” Twilight said slowly. “She said she’d be back.”

Tory didn’t miss the look Pinkie flashed Twilight, and was glad that at least one person was here he could talk to. He hoped he worked out the lie good enough.

“Oh,” he said, letting his emotions show. “I was hoping I could say good-bye to her.”

“Good-bye? Are you going somewhere?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah,” Tory told them. “I feel wrong, just being here. I’ve become too much of a bother to you all. I can’t let my friends do something they don’t want to. So, I’ve decided I’m going to leave town.”

“But Tory, you can’t!” Pinkie called out. “If you go, Fluttershy will-mmph!”

“Easy Pinkie,” Twilight said, pushing a hoof into her mouth again. “Tory, are you sure? What will you do?”

“I don’t have a definite plan, but I think I should be fine.” Tory told them. “I used to live in the woods when I was younger, so I can handle myself decently. I’ll probably find a forest nearby, and go crawl under a rock.”

Both Twilight and Rarity winced at the emotion in his voice. The part about living in woods before was a lie, but he did know enough from watching survival shows to get by for a few days. That should be enough for him to get to Zecora.

“You girls wouldn’t happen to know if there is a forest nearby would you?” Tory asked them. He knew there was only one in the area…

“Well, we have the Everfree forest,” Rarity said. “But it’s hardly a good place to live!”

“I’m willing to live anywhere, I’ve done it before. But I can’t just stay at someone else’s home, I feel like I’m just mooching off of them then! I guess I’ll just go back to Fluttershy’s and grab my things while she’s gone.”

“Hold on Tory,” Twilight said. “Why don’t you stay here? I’ll go over and grab your things for you. I can teleport, so I’ll be much quicker.”

Tory had a feeling she would do that, so he just nodded. He figured they would try to make sure he stayed away from Fluttershy. It made him wonder why they had been nice to him in the first place. Why go through all of that trouble, just to kick him out of town?

After another minute, Twilight had returned with his wallet and tags. He waved good-bye, and walked out the door. Once outside, he instantly began to look for a random pony, any would do. He needed to know how to get to Zecora’s hut, and quick.

Almost right away, Tory noticed a gray pegasus with amber eyes. He remembered Derpy Hooves, and walked over.

“Uh, hi. My name is Tory,” he said. “Can you help me?”

Derpy turned to him, and her eyes just unfocused. Her tongue stuck out, and Tory had a feeling he wouldn’t get much from her.

“I’m looking for a path to the Everfree forest,” he told the pegasus. “Would you happen to know the way?”

Without a word, Derpy signaled for him to follow, and the two set off to the west side of town. It had taken them only a few minutes to reach the outskirts. Tory thanked Derpy, who didn’t seem to respond. He gave one last look at Ponyville, and walked into the first nest of trees. Before he even got ten feet, Tory felt something living brush up against him. Looking down, he noticed Derpy was still at his side.

“You don’t have to go with me,” he told her. “I probably won’t be coming back.”

Derpy looked up at him, and rubbed up against his legs. He felt really uncomfortable right now. Derpy Hooves was cool, but he wasn’t sure about her personality. Derpy people were usually unstable as shit. He didn’t want her to get hurt because of him, so he walked back to the edge of the forest and asked her to go back to town. When she didn’t respond, Tory took a risk.

“Listen Derpy, I’m not from this world. I shouldn’t even be here!” Tory started. “Zecora told me I could live a new life, but it seems like that won’t be possible now. I have to go to her and ask her to take me back! You belong here with your friends. Please don’t follow…”

Before he even got three feet, Tory felt something sharp in his leg. He looked down to see Derpy had bitten him. When she saw him staring, she let go, and walked away. Now thoroughly confused, Tory started for the forest once more. This time, he heard a voice call out to him.

“Tory!”

He instantly pictured the voice, and knew that Fluttershy was nearby. He turned around, and sure enough, she was galloping towards him with Pinkie on her heels. Tory couldn’t bear to say good-bye now that he actually could. Before she got too close, he turned and dashed into the woods. He heard Fluttershy call out to him, but he didn’t want to do something he would regret. He would rather leave with her hating him than to confess and be rejected. Besides, how was he going to explain?

Tory didn’t get far. On foot, he could never outrun a pegasus, not even in a forest. Flutteshy had caught up with him in seconds, and tackled him to the ground. As he layed there in the mud, Tory noticed Fluttershy staring at him with such kindness. He blushed and tried to get up, but found his body wouldn’t respond. She was on his chest, so he couldn’t move, not effectively anyways. Pinkie had caught up, and held Tory to the ground.

“Tory, why did you run?” Fluttershy asked him. He could hear how hurt she was, which confused him. “Where were you going?”

“He was going to see Zecora! I heard him tell Derpy!” Pinkie said loudly. “He said he was going to go back home!”

“Tory, is this true?” Fluttershy asked.

“…Yes. I heard some of your argument with Rarity, and knew I wasn’t welcome anymore. I figured it would be best if I left without causing some commotion. Pinkie, if you heard it all then you know the truth.” He said.

“Yup!” Pinkie said. “You told Derpy that Zecora brought you to Ponyville, and that you wanted to go back to your world!”

“But, I thought you came here by some accident? How could Zecora?…” Fluttershy started. “How do you even know Zecora?”

Tory had made the biggest slip up yet! Now, he didn’t have a choice. He had to tell them everything! He told them about how a friend of his suggested this show, and Tory had decided to give it a try. He told them everything he knew about Equestria and it’s population. He told them about how he followed their adventures, and seen then do so much. He left out a few things, but those were strickly personal. It was all about Fluttershy. That, and anything involving him and Discord.

“The night I came to Equestria, Zecora appeared in my house.” Tory told them. “She said she could give me a new life, and I accepted. I was so sure things would be different…But it still ended with me leaving it all behind.”

“Tory…”

“But if you knew all about us, why did you act like you didn’t?” Pinkie asked.

“I thought that if I acted like I knew all about you, then you’d never trust me.” Tory told them. “I’ve handled rejection so many times…No one ever wants to be around me!”

Fluttershy rested her head on Tory’s chest, making him blush. Pinkie released his arms, and sat down a few feet away.

“Tory, I’d never reject a friend.” Fluttershy said in her sweet voice. “It just makes things easier for us.”

“Us,” Tory asked, startled. “What do you mean by ‘us‘?”

“Ugh! Men!” Pinkie said aloud. “Nevermind that now, what are you going to do Tory? Do you still want to leave?”

“I…I don’t know,” Tory said. “…I want to stay, but I still might be able to get back to my world.”

“Well whatever you decide, I’m coming with you,” Fluttershy said confidently. “Remember what I said? You can’t carry all of your burdens alone.”

“And don’t forget Pinkie!” called out the energetic pony. “I’m coming too!”

“You guys shouldn’t! What if it’s a one way ticket? My kind would freak out of they saw a pegasus and a pink pony! They’d capture you, take you away, and do HORRIBLE things to you!”

“If anyone tries, Pinkie’ll bite them!” the pink one called out. “I’m not afraid of anything hahaha!”

“I’m willing to accept anything,” Fluttershy said quietly. In the fading light, Tory almost thought he saw her blush. “That’s what friends do for each other.”

“Fluttershy…Pinkie Pie…’ Tory said slowly, tears building in his eyes. “…Thank you.”

Both ponies nodded, and they all set off. Tory stayed at the back, with Fluttershy flying beside him. Pinkie led the way towards Zecora’s hut. Currently, Tory was asking Fluttershy just what happened in Rarity’s Boutique.

“She said…th-then…” Fluttershy stammered.

“Is something the matter?” Tory asked her. “You haven’t stuttered like that for a while.”

“It’s just…I…Tory, I think I-”

“HEY!” Pinkie called back to them. “I found the hut! I found the hut! What do I win?”

“How does a chance to see a world unlike what you’ve ever imagined sound?” Tory told her as he walked up to the door.

Tory knocked three times, and waited. The door opened slowly, and Zecora noticed him right away. She ushered him inside, and sat him down by the cauldron. Fluttershy and Pinkie followed more slowly, taking up a seat on both sides of him.

“I glad that you are here,” Zecora said. “Until now, the cauldron has been unclear. I’ve seen what you have come for, but we must stop the evil of lore. Soon he wakes and hurts us all. Only you can make him fall. You, and ‘she’. Only then can you be free.”

“Wait, what are you talking about,” Tory asked the tribal zebra. “Was that some sort of prophecy?”

“The cauldron see’s all there is to know. It has shown me the way to go…Wait, what can it be? Another thing I now forsee!”

Tory and his two friends looked into the cauldron. They only saw smoke, but they didn’t question Zecora’ abilities. Tribal beings had a special connection to nature, and it was wise to listen more often than not.

“I have seen what the future needs,” Zecora said after another minute. “You will accomplish many great deeds. The cauldron has cleared my head, so you may return to your bed.”

“Do you mean…” Tory started.

“Yes, return home, that you may,” Zecora began. “And come back to us on the third day. A spell I have can get you home, but only just to roam. One you can take, the other stays, they’ll help me here to act as a trace.”

“What you’re saying is,” Tory began. “That I can go back to Earth for three days, and I can take someone with me?”

When Zecora nodded, Tory jumped up and gave a victory cry. He startled everypony, and quietly sat down when the silence came. It was perfect! He could go back to school, tell Cory what happened, explain to his parents why he left, and grab a few things to bring the second time.

“Time is now to go back friend,” Zecora rhymed. “Return to home, you life you must tend. Choose the partner that you will take, the other one you must forsake.”

“I pick Fluttershy,” Tory said without hesitating. Pinkie whined for a second, but then she brightened up again. “When should we leave?’

Zecora’s cauldron began to glow a brighter green. Tory felt something tug at him, and he was pulled into the pot. He heard Fluttershy scream, but he couldn’t control himself. Tory lost all sight, and went completely deaf.

“Hmmm, now.” Was all Zecora said.

Return of the Fool

‘Return of the Fool’

Tory’s head was throbbing badly. He looked around, to find himself in a forest trail. But it wasn’t just any trail, it was the one across the road from his house! Tory got up, despite the screaming his muscles pulled. He looked around for Fluttershy, and heard her moan. He followed her voice, since it was too dark to see clearly. When he found her, he tried to help her up, only to realize that he wasn’t touching Fluttershy. Instead, he came in contact with another human. For some reason though, this person wasn’t wearing clothes. Tory was now glad it was night time.

“Fluttershy?” Tory called out. “Are you here?”

“Tory, don’t play around like that!” came her voice from the human. “You know I don’t like pranks!”

“Fluttershy?” Tory asked slowly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine but…are you okay?”

“Yes, I feel fine, why wouldn’t I…”

It was at that moment that, Fluttershy had tried to brush hair out of her face. When she had felt her hoof, it had not felt like normal. She observed it closely, and saw five smaller hooves extending from the main one, each small one a different length.

Wh-what is this?” Fluttershy asked, her voice raising.

“Listen Fluttershy,” Tory started. “I think that…you might have become a human.”

“H-Human? But I still feel my wings!” She argued.

“What now?” Tory asked, stupefied. He felt along her back, which made him uncomfortable, and found that she indeed had wings. “Oh this is not good! I mean it’s better than before, because now the FBI and CIA won’t try to take you unless you somehow show everyone your wings. But that still poses a risk!”

“What do you mean Tory?”

“Remember how I said that bad people would take you away? I meant that they would hunt you down, regardless of who stands in their way, and capture you so they could try and figure out what gives you wings. They would hurt you so much…”

“Tory?”

“Fluttershy, let’s try to be careful, okay? Since it’s dark, that’ll make it much easier to get you inside. Follow me.”

The two companions walked across the street, using the cover of darkness. As they walked around back, Tory heard Nina begin whining. He forgot about her! She’d give them…No, that was fine. If Nina barked, he could just act like it was him. Fluttershy could stand outside his window, and Tory’d pull her in when everyone was asleep.

“Okay Fluttershy,” Tory instructed. “Would you wait here? I’m going to go inside, and get to my room. I’ll open this window, and you can climb in.”

Fluttershy nodded, something Tory barely saw, and he walked up to the door. He opened it slowly, and found that it would barely move. He forced it some, which made part of the frame scrape on the floor, making a loud noise.

“Who’s there?” cam a gruff voice.

“Dad, it’s me.’ Tory called.

“Son?!”

A light clicked on in the living room, and Tory saw his dad standing there. The older man jumped the couch, and ran over to his son. They embraced in a hug, and only broke it when a full minute had passed.

“Where’ve you been” his dad asked. “Your brother is in town, asking if anyone has seen you! I’ve got to call him!”

“Easy dad,” Tory said. “Just calm down. I’ll make the call, you just relax.”

Taking his dad’s phone, Tory called his brother up. The guy had been surprised to hear his voice on their dad’s phone. It had been quite a conversation. Tory had wanted to rush it so he could open the window for Fluttershy, but he found his brother had too much to say. When he finally got off, Tory went into his bedroom, and lifted the window.

“Fluttershy!” Tory whispered. “You there?”

“Yes Tory,” came her soft voice. “So I just climb through here?”

“I’d try your wings first,” the boy suggested. “Put your back feet through first, then use your hands to hold onto the window sill. I’ll grab you some clothes.”

Tory walked over to his dresser, and rummaged around, looking for something long. He found an old shirt he used to wear to sleep, and some shorts that didn’t fit him now. He turned around to find Fluttershy standing there. Her now human body still glowed golden, and her wings made her look like a true angel. All she was missing was the halo and white robe, and she’d be perfect. He noticed her body, and turned back quickly, a super deep blush on his face. He handed her the clothes, and only turned back when she said she had them on.

“They fit so well,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“So they do,” Tory agreed. “Listen, I’m going to talk to my dad for a few minutes. Will you be fine in here?”

When she nodded, Tory walked out into his living room. Fluttershy looked around to see his bedroom was a mess. The floor had trash all around a chair that held some strange rectangular object, with a smaller one beside it. His bed was unmade, and clothes were scattered all about. Fluttershy sat down on the bed, which was actually quite comfy, and promptly curled up around the pillow.

I.I.I

“Okay Fluttershy, Dad and my brother are asleep. What would you like to…”

Walking into his bedroom, Tory found Fluttershy asleep. She was curled up around his pillow, and looked so adorable like that. He smiled, and yawned deeply. Looking at the clock, it said 12:00 a.m. Monday. He’d only been gone two days?

Disregarding that fact, Tory sat down at the foot of the bed, and rested his head on his knee. He fell asleep to Fluttershy’s soft even breathing.

I.I.I

Tory found himself standing in complete darkness. All around him, he could hear destruction and misery. He knew it was the work of Discord. Then Tory heard the most frightening sound of all: Fluttershy’s scream. It was quiet compared to the others, but it echoed in his head, his heart, and his soul.

“Tick Tock Tory,” Discord said, his voice ringing around the emptiness. “Six days left.”

Tory awoke with a start. He looked under the curtain that acted as his door, and saw a single large light coming from the living room. He knew it was his dad, checking the weather and sports channels. That also meant the time was between four and six in the morning.

“T-Tory?” Fluttershy whispered in his ear. “Are you cold?”

“Don’t worry Fluttershy,” Tory whispered back. The dream popped into his head, and made him flinch. Luckily she didn’t notice. “Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you soon.”

“Would you please get in the bed Tory?” Fluttershy asked him, tugging his shirt. “I know you’re cold, I can feel it.”

Tory resisted the urge to jump in. He was supposed to be a gentleman, and give the lady the only bed. What was he supposed to do when she said to share the bed? Before he could think of an answer, Fluttershy pulled his arm up and him along with it. She dragged him over the bed, and placed the covers across him. She slipped under them from the other end, making Tory feel really uncomfortable. That feeling only worsened when Fluttershy placed one arm around him, and snuggled closer. Tory was freaking out on the inside!

He did not sleep another second that night. His dad had woken him, like normal, and Tory slowly got up, so he didn’t disturb Fluttershy. He quickly changed, and snuck out of the room. He normally got up this early, at five-thirty in the morning. But why should Fluttershy? The bus to school wouldn’t arrive until 6:50. She could get another hour of sleep in that time!

Tory walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water. For about two months now, he had switched his diet from three sodas a day, to two bottles of water every day. He had yet to check the results of this change. He figured it wouldn’t be much. He still ate bad things, only because his dad bought them.

Taking the bottle and an apple, Tory sat down on the couch, and flipped through the channels. Since nothing good was on, he checked his DVR, which was only used by him. He found he had gotten some Big O, a new Fooly Cooly, which he had never watched before, and a single Bleach episode. Cueing the Bleach, Tory sat back and let the show play out. After finishing the apple off, Tory paused the show and began his morning ritual. First, a shower, since he hadn’t gotten one last night, followed by combing over his mess that he called hair, and brushing his teeth. When he finished, he walked back into the living room, played the show again, and started to pack up for school. There wasn’t much to pack, just paper, pencils…Oh crap!

Tory had forgotten one thing! Fluttershy! How the hell was he going to handle this one?! He couldn’t leave her here, or her brother might discover the girl. He could try to take her to school, but how would he explain the whole situation to Mr. Crouch, his teachers, or Grace?

That raised another problem. Tory really liked Fluttershy, but at the same time, he held feelings for Grace. She didn’t even know he was a brony! How was he supposed to explain Fluttershy? How would the pony/human react when she met Grace?

“Shit! I really have to plan these things ahead of time!”

“You really have to what son?”

Tory turned around to see his dad standing there. The man was already dressing in his work shirt, pants, and his own camo hat. He handed Tory three dollars, and walked away, forgetting the question he just asked. Tory just put the money in his wallet, like usual, and continued. The cash was meant to be his lunch money, but Tory never ate the gross school lunches. He figured if he didn’t eat lunch at all, it would help him slim down, and make him some cash in the process.

Returning to his bag, Tory saw Fluttershy step over a loose plank, her foot barely touching it. She walked over to him, and gave him a hug, which surprised him. What was that all about? She walked over to the couch, and began stretching. Her legs and arms looked perfectly sculpted. Fluttershy almost looked like a model. Hell, Tory figured she could pass for one if need be!

“Good morning Tory,” she said in that gentle voice of hers. “Did you sleep good?”

“Alright,” he lied. “How about you?”

“You make a nice pillow,” she said. Tory blushed, and so did Fluttershy a few seconds after she realized what she said.. “ I mean um…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tory said with a smile. “But I do have one problem. I don’t know how I can take you around school with me. You aren’t registered, no one besides me knows you, and I think…”

“What?” Fluttershy asked.

Tory had been about to say ‘I think Grace might not approve of you!’ But that thought could not be said. Instead, Tory thought back to his issues with school, and found something that he thought would warrant a problem.

“And I think,” Tory started. “That Aaron might come after me. I don’t want you to get hurt. You probably will if you’re seen with me. But I can’t leave you here either. If my brother sees you…”

Fluttershy understood that last one. She turned away and blushed. But what he said made sense. What could she do?…That’s it!

“Tory, why don’t I use the Stare on someone?” Fluttershy suggested.

“Hmmm…” Tory said, thinking about that. “It could work on Mr. Crouch…Ah hell! Let’s try it. I wanted to take you with me anyways. I don’t care if I get in trouble!”

They sat on the couch until 6:50 came around. They walked outside, and waited for the bus. When Fluttershy saw it, she jumped badly. She thought it had been some ghost carriage. It was only after getting on that he explained that his world had technology greatly more advanced than her world. She had taken it all in silence, only speaking to ask a question every now and then. Tory’s bus driver looked at them frequently, wondering who the girl was and where she came from. She usually would’ve stopped them from getting on, but Tory didn’t cause trouble, so she let it slide this time. But she knew that he’d be in trouble when Grace got on.

As they neared the corner to Grace’s stop, Tory asked Fluttershy if she’d sit across the aisle. When she did, he grabbed his backpack, and waited for the bus to stop. He got up, and let Grace take the window for once. He thought it would be better this way. Oh how wrong he was!

The entire ride, Grace had given him a look. Tory couldn’t quite describe it. He wanted to call it jealousy, but he knew Grace was above that sort of thing. He had kept on talking to Fluttershy, telling her about Cory, the only other guy that knew about the pegasus.

As they neared the school, Grace finally whispered into Tory’s ear. It was so low he barely heard it, mostly because she was on his bad ear side. But what he could pick up sounded very unhappy.

“Tory, who is she?” Grace had asked. “And why are you talking to her?”

Tory had spent the entire ride thinking of an answer for this. Every time he felt daggers in his head, he thought harder about an excuse for Fluttershy’s appearance. He simply answered:

“This is my sister! She was staying with my aunt and uncle in Kentucky. She had to come down here because of a fight they had, and neither wanted to care for her alone. Her name is Flutter.”

…Genius! That excuse was so good, he could make the infamous ninja Kakashi green with envy! Grace had bought it without so much as a second thought. When they got off the bus, he said good-bye to Grace, something he never did, and walked over to Cory. Unfortunately, Chris was beside him. Tory was prepared for some stupid comment, but none came when the guy saw him.

“Probably because he’s with his girlfriend right now!” Tory thought to himself.

“Hey ‘Fro, can you come over here for a minute?” Tory called out to his buddy.

When the three of them had gotten away from the crowd, Tory had tried to explain the situation. No matter what Tory did, Cory refused to believe that the human girl in front of him could be the gentle pony Fluttershy. Finally, Tory just got tired, and used his ace.

“Okay Fluttershy, show him.” Tory said.

“What? Show me what?” Cory asked curiously.

Fluttershy turned around and pulled the collar of her large shirt out. Cory turned away, but Tory said it was fine if he didn’t see the front. Looking in, Cory saw her wings, which melded with her skin perfectly. Cory backed away, not sure what to say.

“You said she was Fluttershy?”

“Yup,” Tory said. “She’s even got the cutie mark to prove it. It’s on her-”

“WOAH BRO!!” Cory said loudly. “I don’t need to see THAT!”

“I was gonna say her side, but fine.” Tory said with a laugh.

“But, how the hell is all of this possible?” Cory asked.

“I don’t know, but-”

The school bell picked that moment to ring, drowning out Tory’s words. He picked up his stuff, and said good-bye to Cory, saying they’d meet at lunch if they could. On the way to class, Tory had noticed Mr. Crouch talking with one of the faculty members, and picked this moment to get that awkward confrontation out of the way.

“Mr. Crouch! Good I caught you just in time!” Tory said as he bounded up to the principal.

“What’s all this about son?” he asked. “Who’s your friend?”

“Mr. Crouch, this is Flutter. She’s a sister that’s been living with my aunt and uncle for some time. Recently they had a fight and got divorced. Since no one was willing to look after her, my dad decided to bring her here. I know she hasn’t been registered, but can she come around to my classes?”

“Why wasn’t she registered over the weekend?”

“She only got in last night, and Dad wouldn’t let her miss a day of school. Please, can she join me?!” Tory pleaded.

“…Fine,” Mr. Crouch finally said. “But you’re on thin ice son. I can’t protect you forever.”

“No worries my good man,” Tory said.

I.I.I

Class had gone by relatively quick with Fluttershy around. He got to be exempt from the lessons to catch her up on the work. He looked like he was, but Tory was actually teaching her to write with her new hands instead of her mouth. If they were going to be here, she needed the basic level of human knowledge. It had taken her two periods to get it down. Then he and her had just passed notes to each other the rest of the time. Right now, they were in fifth period, Tory’s computer class. He had to move to a different area so he could sit with Fluttershy, but he didn’t mind. It was fun talking with her. Next they would have lunch, talk with Cory, and see what else they could figure out about the situation. Zecora clearly wasn’t going to stop talking in riddles.

“So Fluttershy,” Tory began. “Are you enjoying my world so far? I hope I’m not boring you!”

“Oh no Tory,” she said kindly. “I like learning new things! This is great stuff for me to take back home.”

Tory looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, and inspiration hit him. He pulled out a piece of paper, and began to scribble quickly on it. He wrote line after line, word after word. Fluttershy couldn’t keep up because she was trying to read it over his hand. Just as quick as it had started, Tory had placed the paper back into his notebook.

“What was that Tory?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh well, I’m writing something really private right now, and I had a thought.” Tory said. “I needed to write it down before I lost it.”

Fluttershy nodded. She often felt scatterbrained, and wrote her own thoughts down, for future reference. Little did she know was it wasn’t just a thought, it was a lyric.

“Your sweet pink mane, your lush blue eyes!…Yeah that’s pretty good!” Tory thought at the time.

He had been trying to write a song for the longest time. He came close to some good ones at times, but each one disappointed him when he knew he could do better. But this one he intended to keep, bad or not. He never wanted to forget Fluttershy, and what better way than a song?

The rest of the day had gone by smoothly. Fluttershy had learned quite a bit from Tory. The only issue came as they were walking back to their bus after the last bell rang. Tory was just telling Fluttershy about the kinds of music that Earth had, when he heard something he hated so much.

“Hey Tory,” Called out Aaron. “Who’s the hottie? I know she ain’t with you! You couldn’t even get that sorry excuse of a girl called ‘Grace’!”

Tory clenched his fists. He was getting tired of dealing with Aaron. The guy was always there to make some comment about how bad Tory was at something. Getting his anger under control, the teen continued to walk towards his bus. Fluttershy continued to walk beside him.

“Who’s that?” she asked.

“Aaron,” Tory said simply. “The best thing to do right now would be to walk away. He isn‘t worth our time.”

“Aww, that hurts my heart loser,” Aaron taunted. “But then again, it’s not you could do anything. Not when I’m busy plowing your mother!”

Tory flinched. That struck a really weak nerve. If there was one thing Tory couldn’t stand, it was when someone said any ‘Your Mom’ jokes, or talked about how they did her. He had taken a very risky precaution, telling everyone that she was dead. At least this way, people would say less around him. All except for Aaron.

“Oh yeah,” the piss ugly brute called out, seeing him flinch. “I dug up her body, and I rocked her world. It was probably the best thing she had ever felt, if she could feel.”

That tore it. Tory turned around, his face contorted into one of absolute disgust, pure rage, and a murderous intent that blackened his eyes. Tory tossed his backpack on the ground, and removed everything from his pockets. When he got back up, he stretched, and charged at the bastard.

Aaron had expected this. He stepped in, and tried to throw a punch to Tory’s face. Then the teen dodged, and swept out his leg, tripping the big brute. Tory then got up and stomped his foot down on Aaron’s chest. The air then left him, and then Tory crushed him with his elbow. After taking a second to catch his breath, Tory let his opponent get back up. Then Tory came at him again, this time he remembered one of his old karate moves: The flying snap kick. It was a basic kick that was done with swift motions, and one of the first things he learned. The kick could travel as high as his head, but add a jump to that? The end result had been Tory’s shoe colliding with Aaron’s face.

The brute was sent backwards, and fell to the ground. He didn’t get up, but Tory could see him breathing. Still panting from the assault, the teen walked back to Fluttershy. As he got his stuff back on, he looked at her, and saw how scared of him she appeared. He slowly placed a hand on her trembling shoulder, and spoke in a calm, soothing voice.

“Don’t worry Fluttershy,” Tory said quietly. “You’re safe. I could never hurt you.”

Fluttershy nodded, and stopped trembling. Then she looked over his shoulder, and let out a little ‘eep!’

“But I can.” Came the low angry voice.

Before Tory could react, a hand grabbed him from behind and slammed him onto the hard concrete. He looked up to see Aaron grab Fluttershy and punch her in the face. As she fell to the ground, Tory’s rage tipped over, and he felt new energy surge throughout his body.

Tory stood up and charged at Aaron once more. He grabbed the back of the brute’s head, and brought it down onto his knee. The impact sent Aaron backwards, leaving him completely vulnerable. Tory took that opening and dropkicked the bastard right in the chest. As he got up, he placed his right shoulder forward, and slammed into the still recovering monster of a human. Tory kept pushing until Aaron banged into a bus, and then he pushed off and reared back his right fist. He brought it down on the bully with all of his might, sending the teen to the ground. It was the best right hook that he’d ever thrown.

Tory stood there, panting. His rage began to cool, and his knuckles were sore from that last punch. As he wiped off the blood that had collected on his shirt, Tory heard a malicious voice in his head. It echoed inside his mind, and tried to fill him with hate.

“Finish him Tory,” the voice said. Tory knew it was Discord, but he didn’t care. “He hurt Fluttershy! He should be punished!”

Tory agreed with Discord for once, but he couldn’t bring himself to deal another blow. He turned away, and walked back to Fluttershy. The crowd parted as he came near, fear on their faces. Tory knelt down, and checked Fluttershy of any serious damage. He sighed in relief when it seemed like she was only unconscious. He sat down beside her, and rested his weak legs.

The crowd around him parted once more to reveal Mr. Crouch and Mr. Nelson, the discipline officer. They looked at Tory, then to Fluttershy, then Aaron, and back to him once more. Tory just stayed there, allowing his breath to come back. Mr. Crouch shook his head and spoke up.

“Tory, I’m disappointed in you.” He said. “I thought you were better than this. Beating up another student? What possessed you to go to such lengths?”

“You don’t care!” Tory countered. “You’ll still punish me like you would any other, say that you don’t know me, and feign ignorance! You just want to make yourself look good! Newsflash Mr. Principal, no one likes you! Go ahead, give me detention, or suspension! You can even expel me for all I care! But I refuse to let ANYONE hurt Fluttershy! Any punishment I receive is nothing compared to the pain I’d feel if something happened to her!”

Everyone gasped when they heard him shout out their principal like that. Was it so unheard of that he should? Sure, he was usually meek and lame, but when pushed, he could fight back with the best of them! Hell, he’d go toe-to-toe with Discord and Luna at the same time if they threatened Fluttershy! There was only so much one guy could take, and Aaron had unleashed the dam of rage he’d been holding back for all of his life. Now that he had a chance to release it, Tory felt more confident, capable, and he knew he what he wanted to do.

“After this week ends, none of you will ever see me again!” Tory shouted at them. “And you know what? I’ll be glad to escape all of you pathetic excuses of life! You people just spend your lives away, destroying everything in your path! Oh, I know I’m going to Hell, I have no doubt! But when I get there, I’ll be the one laughing! You’ll spend all of eternity regretting what you did in life, while I will just sit back, and tell the devil about how great it was to get away from you!”

Tory took their silence as the time to get on his bus. He carefully picked up Fluttershy, and made his way to the front of the line. He was aware of the stares he was getting. He didn’t care anymore. If they had a problem with him, they could suck it up and get on with their lives.

As he finally got aboard his ride home, Tory carefully deposited Fluttershy in the front seat, and sat down next to her. He noticed a spot of blood around her mouth, and quickly got a paper towel from the bus driver to clean it up. Just seeing that single drop pissed Tory off. He wanted to smash Aaron’s face in, but the moment had passed.

“There’s no going back now! There’s only one path left for me to follow.” Tory thought to himself.

Ever since he’d been back, Tory had felt uncomfortable. Life just seemed so dull, and painful. Tory’s only solace was that he could share his troubles with Fluttershy. But he was wondering at what cost. If she got hurt because he couldn’t be alone, than he’d rather shoulder all of his burdens by himself!

Students started to file onto the bus, passing him as quickly as they could, and going as far into the back as possible. The only people that sat up front now was him, Fluttershy, Grace, Brandon, who was a classmate of his, and a kid that was mentally challenged whose name Tory forgot. He felt his neck burn hot under the stares of his classmates. Grace looked at him with curiosity, and finally broke the heavy silence.

“Why is everyone staring at you? What happened?” she asked.

Tory quickly explained what happened. How Aaron baited him, how Tory had abandoned his normally gentle self in a moment of absolute rage, and how the brute had hurt Fluttershy. Grace and Brandon stared at him, silent the entire time. It made Tory feel ucomfortable under their stares.

“Wait,” Brandon said when he finished. “You mean to tell me that YOU did that to Aaron?! HAHAHA! That’s rich!”

“Do you see the blood on my knuckles?” Torry asked, holding out his hand. There was blood covering the knuckles and part of his palm. Tory hadn’t gotten to clean it off yet. “That’s the only thing I have left to prove that Aaron got his ass handed to him.”

Grace noted how he left out the gloating. He definitely looked more confident, that was for sure. There was something in his eyes that changed too…She couldn’t describe it. She saw how his eyes flashed for a brief second, and saw such fierceness within them.

“You actually DID knock him out, didn’t you?” Grace finally said.

Tory nodded. He glanced at Fluttershy once more. Grace noticed he did frequently. Something told her that this girl wasn’t his sister. Then she remembered some of the things he told her a few minutes ago.

“Wait, didn’t you say you were leaving?” She asked him. “Where do you intend to go?”

“Grace, what would you do if I disappeared? Just completely vanished off the face of the Earth?” Tory asked.

“I’d wonder what happened, pray with all of my heart that you were okay, and hope for the best.” she said simply.

Tory wasn’t sure if he liked what she said or not. It seemed like she cared, but at the same time like she didn’t. So if he went back to Ponyviille, she’d just not care, and get on with her life? That really made him feel like he held a place in her heart.

“Listen,” Tory whispered. “Wednesday night, I’m going. Me, Flutter, and hopefully another guy will just vanish. There won’t be a trace of where we went. I’m probably expelled from school after today, so this is the last time I’ll ever talk to any of you. I just want to say good-bye…and thanks. It’s been swell having you guys around.”

The bus stopped, and Grace noticed that they were at Tory’s stop. How had the time gotten away from her? With a heave, Tory picked up his unconscious friend, and walked off the bus. Grace could almost hear the fragments of her heart breaking. She did care about Tory, at least somewhat. She vowed right then and there that she’d find out where he’d go.

Tory made for his room quickly, hoping that his brother was working right now. His luck prevailed, and he found the house empty. Tory headed straight for his bedroom, and quietly and gentliy layed Fluttershy down on the bed. He stepped out to get his school stuff off, and returned to find her waking up.

“Ohhh,” Fluttershy groaned. “Where…?”

“Easy Fluttershy,” Tory warned. “You took a nasty punch to the face…How is it feeling?”

Fluttershy sat up, and felt along her face for any bruises or marks, but nothing came up. It surprised her, that not even a headache was there. How long had she been out?

“What happened to Aaron?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“I…uhh…”Tory stammered. “I kind of…beat him to a pulp. But only because he hurt you! When I saw that bastard punch you…I just lost it! I couldn’t stand by and let my only true friend get hurt because of me!”

Fluttershy blushed at the last part. She had never considered herself a true friend, let alone the only one. But her heart nearly lept out of her chest when she heard Tory say that he couldn’t stand to see her in pain. She felt it beat rapidly and loudly inside her. She was sure Tory could hear it, even though he couldn’t hear well.

“Listen Fluttershy,” Tory said solemnly. “I’m so sorry! I had hoped we would be able to enjoy the short stay here, but now that doesn’t seem possible. I didn’t want you to get hurt, but I still let it happen! I’m such a terrible friend!…I’m so sorry.”

Fluttershy climbed over the bed towards Tory, and enveloped him in a hug. She could feel his body shaking, trying to fight back the tears. She could hear the sobs he bit back in between each word. She didn’t care that she had gotten hurt, or that Tory had beaten up another person. Her only concern at the moment was how Tory felt.

“Tory, I don’t mind,” Fluttershy eventually said. “We’re both okay, and we have each other. There is no reason to be upset.”

“Fluttershy,” Tory whispered.

The two of them stayed there for a few minutes, before Tory suggested they get a shower. Being the gentleman, he let Fluttershy go first. He turned on the TV, and browsed through the shows. He thought back to what Fluttershy said, and blushed lightly.

“Each other, huh?” Tory said with a smile.

He was wondering if this was the start of a relationship that he’d been hoping for all along. He quickly dismissed the thought. Why would Flutershy feel anything towards him? She could get anyone she wanted to like her! She could do so much better than him easily! That thought upset him though. Before he had come here, he had a crush on the pony. But since he had gotten to know her personally, it had turned into full-blown love! But he knew that she didn’t return them. He was still to afraid to confess! How could she like someone as pathetic as him.

“Tory, “ a soft voice behind him called, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I’m out now if you need to take yours.”

Tory turned to look at Fluttershy, but quickly turned away when he saw she was only in a towel. He had forgotten to get her clean clothes! It took him a minute to stammer out his response.

“I, um…Thank you, Fluttershy” Tory said, not looking at the beautiful girl behind him. “I’ll uh, go get you some clean clothes.”

Within a few seconds, Tory had dashed out of the living room and into his bedroom. He was rummaging through his dresser again when Fluttershy walked in. He stopped what he was doing, wondering if he should try to get out so she could change, or stay and help her find something nice. Before he got a chance to decide, Fluttershy spoke up.

“Tory,” she said in her sweet voice. “What’s wrong? Are you scared of me or something?”

Tory could hear the hurt in her voice, which made him feel bad. He was just trying to be respectful and give Fluttershy some privacy. Mustering up some of his new courage, Tory began to explain himself.

“It’s not that I’m scared of you Fluttershy,” he began. “There are just a few common rules we humans live by. The first is that we never reveal ourselves to someone unless married to them. I shouldn’t be seeing you like that, only covered up by a towel. It’s disrespectful of me! I was only trying to give you some privacy, like a gentleman should.”

Fluttershy smiled when he finished. It was adorable how he tried to be polite! Then she realized what he was saying, and blushed deeply. She turned around so Tory wouldn’t see it. Her heart began to beat faster. What was the cause of all this?

“It’s okay Tory,” she soothed him. “Thank you for being so nice to me.”

“It was only the right thing to do,” Tory replied, trying to be modest. “I’m sure you’d do the same for me. Now then, let’s find something for you to we-”

It was right then that Tory was cut off. His heart pulsed violently, and he coughed loudly. He looked into his hand, and saw specks of blood there. He felt his body go numb, and his eyes cloud over. The room began to spin, and he was vaguely aware of Fluttershy calling out to him. With a shudder, Tory fell to the floor, and passed out.

“Tick Tock Tick Tock…Be careful of what you say Tory,” came Discord’s voice. “It might just come back to haunt you.”

Tory looked around the darkness for the twisted demon, but it seemed his voice emanated from everywhere, even inside the teen’s head. Discord began to laugh maliciously, and Tory heard the terrifying scream once more. Once it subsided, another voice came from beside him. He knew the voice all too well, even though he couldn‘t see the speaker.

“Please no,” Fluttershy cried beside him, completely invisible to the boy’s eyes. “By Celestia don’t take him!”

Tory’s eyes snapped open, and he found himself on his bed. He looked over, and saw Fluttershy crying. Though Tory felt exhausted, he reached over, and stroked the beautiful girl’s hair. She looked up at him, her eyes streaming. He smiled weakly, and let his voice soothe her worries.

“It’s okay Fluttershy,” Tory said. “I’m fine now.”

“Oh Tory,” she cried. “I saw you collapse, and you weren’t breathing! I tried everything I could, but there were no medical supplies in the house! The only thing I could think of was CPR!”

The moment Fluttershy said she performed CPR on him, he felt his heart stop. He went lightheaded, and blushed super deeply. He closed his eyes, and pictured the event. He wished he had been awake to experience it, to feel Fluttershy giving the ‘Kiss of Life’. Tory looked out the window at the setting sun, and felt another lyric pop into his head. He didn’t have to write this one down, he’d definitely remember it!

“As the sun begins to set, and bring an end to our day, I look into your eyes, and find I can’t turn away. You kissed me just once, and it made my heart melt! And I realized right then, it was the best I ever felt!”

Tory chuckled, making his chest hurt in the process. Fluttershy got up and hugged him, making the pain worsen. He didn’t complain though. He was growing accustomed to Fluttershy being around him. He sniffed at her hair, which smelt like roses, felt his heart beat faster and faster, and his breathing quicken. He suddenly felt crowded in the room.

Tory got sat up, forcing Fluttershy to let go, and he began to stroke her lovely pink hair once more. It was still wet from her shower, so he must not have been out long he realized. The two stared into each other’s eyes, neither needing to say a word. It was only broken by a loud humming from in the distance. Tory knew that sound anywhere. It was his dad coming down the dirt road in the distance.

“Looks like my time’s up,” Tory said jokingly, even though the whole matter was serious. “Guess it’s time to face the music.”

A few minutes later, Tory found himself sharing a drink with his dad, sitting in the living room. He hadn’t expected his own father to act like this. When Tory’s dad came in, he sounded so serious. He openly challenged Tory about the fight, and when Tory told him the story, his dad just gave a cheer and brought out some vodka.

“My son finally becomes a man!” he was saying. “You smacked the guy around because he deserved it right? Well why the hell should I punish you for doing what needed to be done?! Let me tell you something son. I would’ve done the exact same thing! Ask anyone of your brothers, they’ll say they would too! You stood up for that girl, and didn’t take any bull-shit! That makes you a man in my book!”

After a few minutes of drinking, Tory’s dad fell asleep. The man wasn’t a heavy drinker, and often was tired after a long day of work. Those two factors made the man tired as hell, and he passed out on the couch soon after. Tory went back to Fluttershy, who had been listening quietly. He beckoned for her to follow him, and they walked into the back yard.

Tory went over to his dad’s truck, and lowered the tailgate. They sat down in silence, taking in the sunset. Another lyric came to Tory, and he thought it would make a great opening line.

“The sun will rise, and the sun will set. But I’ll always be here, on that you can bet.”

Tory looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, and she looked into his. He thought back on everything that had happened today, and how hectic it had been. And to think that it was still the first day! Tory felt so strongly for Fluttershy, he couldn’t bear to hold it back anymore. Breathing in deeply, Tory began to tell her how he felt.

“Fluttershy, there’s something I have to tell you,” he began. “I’ve been keeping something from you for the longest time. Until now, I didn’t know how to say it. But after today, I’m not afraid to let you know.”

Fluttershy looked at him with eyes that shone with a radiant beauty that was unrivaled. Tory felt his confidence increase as he saw something in her eyes. He knew without a doubt how much he cared for Fluttershy. He vowed right then and there that even if she didn’t feel the same about him, he would protect her with his dying breath.

“Fluttershy,” Tory continued. “I’m in love. But not with just anyone! I love you! After everything that we’ve gone through, I can say without a doubt that I do! From the first moment I saw your beautiful blue eyes, and your soft pink mane, I knew that you were the only girl for me!”

“Tory,” Fluttershy whispered. “Do you really mean that?” When he nodded with such conviction, she continued. “I…I love you too! For the longest time, I’ve been feeling these strange things inside me! Every time I was with you, I felt like I could do anything. And when you weren’t beside me, I felt so weak!”

Tory felt his body go numb. Fluttershy loved him! After everything that happened, she held him so close in her heart as well! Tory wanted to stand up and scream for joy. Instead he leaned towards Fluttershy, and she leaned towards him. The two embraced each other, and began to kiss passionately. Their hearts soared as they held each other. They forgot about the world that was around them, letting time slip away.

From the window at the house, Tory’s dad smiled. From the moment Tory had first gone to his room, the man had known Tory was not alone. The voices he’d heard only confirmed it. He never said anything though, because he saw no harm. The man let a single tear fall down his face. He looked up into the sky, thinking of the last woman he had ever loved.

“Can you see him, Sandy?” the man said aloud. “Can you see him from your place in Heaven? Our son has finally grown up...”

The sun finally fell below the horizon, and the two lovers walked back inside. They began to think about how they wanted to live the rest of their lives. Truthfully they didn’t care what happened, so long as they were together. But one question bothered the two of them that they couldn’t ignore. Where would they live? Would they stay in Tory’s world, where Fluttershy could live a human life, or would they go back to Equestria and see if they could truly be together? Tory didn’t care if Fluttershy was human or pony, he would stay by her side until he breathed his last.

After a few minutes of talking, they reached the conclusion that going back to Equestria would be better. At least there, they wouldn’t have to worry about everyone hating Tory, or wondering just who Fluttershy was. They didn’t care if Tory wasn’t accepted by the other ponies. If they had to, then the two of them would leave town for good.

“If I have but one life to live, I’m glad it’s with you Fluttershy.” Tory told her, stroking her soft hair once more.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said back, her blue eyes showing an infinite amount of love.

The two of them crawled into bed, and fell asleep to each other’s soft breathing. Each one held the other closely, never letting go, even in sleep. They would live together, and they would die together. That was how strong the love they had forged would bind them. In sickness and in health, for better or worse, they were together.

I.I.I

The next morning, Fluttershy awoke to a strange, yet beautiful sound. She looked out the window, and saw Tory sitting on the tailgate, with a large wooden object in his lap. It was oddly shaped, wide on one half, but thin on the other. Six strings ran from the thin side towards the wide one, with a large hole in the center.

Tory placed one hand on the thin side, and let his other hand fall down the strings. It made a beautiful sound. He strummed continually, changing the position of his left hand every now and then. Different sounds came from the object, each a wonder in their own way. It sounded so beautiful to Fluttershy, and she stood there at the window, listening.

The tempo changed, and Tory spoke softly. Fluttershy had to crack the window to make out the words. As he spoke, Tory continued to strum. His words and the sound of those strings warmed Fluttershy to the heart.

“The sun will rise, and the sun will set. But I’ll always be here on that you can bet.” Tory said. “I know you’re so pure, so kind and so strong. As I look at you now, I know that you can do no wrong.”

The tempo began to speed up, and Tory spoke louder. His voice rang clear around the yard. It sounded so nice to Fluttershy. So confident and passionate.

“I can’t say good-bye! I can’t go away!” He called out. “I want to stay with you here, all night and all day! Your soft gentle smile, it warms me to my core! Oh how I love you today, for now and evermore!”

Tory began to strum even faster, and each note made Fluttershy’s heart beat faster. As she listened, she knew that Tory had made that song for her. She felt a blush come across her face, and let herself get lost in his beautiful voice.

“Your sweet pink mane, you lush blue eyes! You’re the love of my life and for you I would die! You’ve been at my side, through the good and the bad! You’re the only true friend that I’ve ever had!”

Tory slowed his strumming once more, and spoke softer. Fluttershy shed a few tears at how much emotion he poured out right then. She knew every word was true, and that she felt the same way towards him. Without missing a beat, Tory continued to sing.

“You’ve given me hope, and kept by my side. You’re the only pony in which I can confide. Every time I’m with you, and I look at your face, I see all of your love, and my heart begins to race!” He strummed harder and faster, filling the yard with his beautiful music. “As the sun begins to set, and brings an end to our day, I look into your eyes, and find I can’t turn away. You kissed me just once, and it made my heart melt. And I realized right then, it was the best I ever felt!”

Fluttershy felt her face go hot, and thought back to last night. That kiss they had shared had been her first ever and she had loved every second of it. It had been one of the best experiences of her life. Tearing herself away from the window, Fluttershy began to walk towards the back door. She stopped when she got there, and listened to Tory sing the chorus once more.

Before she got cold feet, Fluttershy opened the door and walked out. She approached Tory, and let him finish his song. He spoke so softly, that Fluttershy had trouble hearing him.

“The sun will rise, and the sun will set. But I’ll always be here, on that you can bet. Your soft gentle smile, it warms me to my core…Oh how I love you today…for now and evermore…”

Tory strummed a few more times, and let the sounds fade away. When he couldn’t hear them anymore, he looked up at the morning sky, and sighed once. Fluttershy saw a tear roll down his face, and knew that he would miss his home. He was sacrificing everything to be with her. She walked up beside him, and spoke so softly into his ear.

“That was beautiful,” she whispered. “Did you write that?”

Tory jumped at the sound of her voice, which made her giggle. He laughed at his silliness, and scratched at the back of his head embarrassingly. He looked into her eyes, and knew that even though he’d miss everyone here, he wouldn’t regret leaving. It was the one thing Tory was sure about. He remembered that Fluttershy asked him a question, and blushed when he answered.

“Yeah, I’ve been writing it for some time now.” he told her. “Every moment I’ve shared with you I recorded it, and put it down in my song. It’s the only way I know how to truly express myself.”

“You sure didn’t need to sing to express yourself yesterday,” Fluttershy said back, a teasing look in her eyes.

“Only because it’s you,” he said back with a loving smile. “You’ve helped me become who I really wanted to be. Until I actually met you, I was a nobody. If not for everything you’ve done, I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t be the kind of guy that could actually accomplish something…I guess it’s just another reason I love you Fluttershy.”

The two held each other again, watching the morning sun rise above the trees. Birds began to call out, and the day came to life around them. Tory noticed movement on his left, and saw someone walking into the driveway. He instantly recognized who it was by the orange-red afro they had.

“Cory? What are you doing here” Tory asked confused. “Shouldn’t there be school today? And how‘d you find my address?”

“Mr. Crouch allowed me to take the day off since I’m evidently your only friend,” the boy joked. “He told me where to find you, and to see if I could convince you to come back to school.”

“I’m afraid that can’t happen,” Tory said shaking his head. “I’m going back to Equestria tomorrow night. I’m going to live the rest of my life there with Fluttershy. Besides, there are too many painful memories in this town. There’s no way I could be happy here.”

“I suppose you have the choice,” Cory said. “But I did what Mr. Crouch asked of me, so that’s done. Anyways, you’re really going then, aren’t you?”

Tory nodded, and that was when his friend noticed him holding hands with Fluttershy. He smiled as he though back to what Tory just said. It had more than one meaning, he knew that now. There was no way Tory would stay here, not when he could live peacefully with Fluttershy in her world. If there was one thing Cory had learned about his friend, it was that he gave what he got. If someone showed him kindness and trusted him, he showed them the same respect. Tory was a loyal friend to those that he thought deserved it.

“Well then I guess the best thing I could do is support you and make sure you don’t hurt yourself. It’s the least I could do as your friend.” Cory said with a sly smile.

“You mean…” Tory started.

“Yup!” Cory agreed. “I’m coming with you to Equestria. You didn’t think I’d pass up an opportunity like this would you?”

“Are you sure” Fluttershy asked him. “Once we get there, you can’t go back. It’s a one-way trip.”

“I know,” Cory said solemnly. “But who else is gonna keep you two out of trouble? I have to make sure Tory doesn’t beat the crap out of any ponies!”

Tory looked away, and pretended to study a rock in the yard. Fluttershy and Cory broke out laughing, which got him going too. It felt good, having friends to laugh with. And the best part was that he wouldn’t lose any of them because they were all goin to Equestria!

“Then you’d best get packing!” Tory warned his friend. “You’re gonna want a few things while we’re there. Since you’ve seen the show, you obviously know that electronics would be pointless. My best advice would be a few books, maybe something simple you can enjoy like your cards, and some clothing. I don’t know if Rarity will be willing to make us some new duds, so it would be good to have some backup clothing. I’d also suggest leaving a note. You can’t say good-bye in person, otherwise they’d try to stop you.”

Cory nodded as he memorized the list Tory just told him. Excitement built up inside him like a ticking time bomb. He was going to Equestria! He’d get to meet everypony that lived there, even Twilight. That was the big one. She was Cory’s favorite out of all the ponies. If he was lucky, he might even get a chance with her, like Tory and Fluttershy.

“I know what you’re thinking man,” Tory said as he looked into his friend’s eyes. “You’d best be careful if that’s the road you’re gonna take. She was awfully suspicious of me when I got there. I don’t know what she’ll think if another one of us comes up to her.”

Fluttershy looked between the two boys for a clue as to what they were talking about. When Tory noticed this, he realized that she still had no idea about Cory.

“Hey, I think she wants to know,” Tory said indicating his love. “Is it fine if I tell her?”

Cory nodded, and he began to tell Fluttershy everything that he felt was permitted. When he finished, she looked up at the teen with a humorous glint in her eyes.

“Twilight?” Fluttershy asked the boy after Tory finished. “You've got a thing for her? I think that would be interesting to see happen. Twilight doesn't seem like the type to want a relationship, but I always thought she’d be a little bit happier with someone to spend time with.”

“Now if only we could get four more people to join us,” Tory joked. “Then we could make all the other girls happy!”

“I don’t think Rainbow Dash could settle down with any guy,” Cory said humorously. “She’d leave him in the dirt if he wasn't a fast flyer!”

That made everyone break out in laughter again. It took them a few minutes to calm down and catch their breaths. When they did, Cory said good-bye, and left to go pack his things. That reminded Tory he still had to get ready. He didn't have much to pack, but he wanted to get it done while it was still on his mind.

Stepping back inside, Tory emptied out his backpack, and began loading it with small stuff in the front zippers. He put some Yu-Gi-Oh cards in there, his knife, and a couple of gifts for the other ponies. He put in designer magazines for Rarity, some books for Twilight to add to her collection, plenty of Shounen comics for Pinkie since she had been so nice to him, and some Sports Illustrated magazines for Rainbow Dash. He noticed his old hat beside the dresser, and put it on top of the backpack. It was a special hat he had gotten from his sister before she moved away. It was an Indiana Jones hat, which was what Tory liked at the time. It would make a nice gift for Applejack. He kind of considered that pony to be like a sister to everyone, so it seemed almost right.

With most of the packing done in the course of ten minutes, Tory put his clothes in the washer, and let the machine do its work. His clothing was the last thing he had to take care of. Well, almost. Tory remembered to grab his guitar, and placed it inside its case, which he put beside his backpack.

After that, he had spent the rest of the day relaxing with Fluttershy. At one point, he thought he saw movement in the yard, but when he looked, there was no one there. He figured his eyes were playing tricks on him again, and went to take a shower.

Needless to say the last day had been as calm as before. Tory had spent the entire day beside Fluttershy, thinking about what he wanted to put in the note to his family. After talking it out with her, the note had finished saying this:

Dear Dad and Bro,

By the time you see this letter, I’ll be gone. I’m sorry but I can’t stay here any longer. I know you guys will miss me, and I will miss you, but life moves on,, so we should as well. I’m glad that I got to say good-bye this time though, it felt wrong leaving without at least giving you that.

I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. If not for the support you two have given me over the years, I don’t think I’d be as happy as I am now. It is with a heavy heart that I leave you as I am. I know that you will understand when I say that I had to do this. All I ask is that you don’t cry for me. You knew I was going to leave one day, it just happened to be sooner than you thought.

Please don’t look for me, you won’t get any leads, or rumors, or anything of the sort. I’m gone, and that’s the end of it. Please tell Grandma and everyone else that it was my choice. And if you can, tell Grace I’m sorry for everything. I know I’m not strong enough to do this in person, otherwise I would try. Even as I write this, I feel the tears sting my eyes.

Thanks for everything. I love you all so much more than you could ever know,
Tory.

Taping the note to the TV, Tory picked up his belongings, and walked outside where his friend and his lover were waiting. They walked across the street into the trail where Tory and Fluttershy had reappeared from. Earlier that day, Zecora had sent some kind of message to him mentally, and she said to ‘go where the break began‘. Since it was sort of a riddle, Tory had treated it like one, and figured that meant where his ‘break’ away from Ponyville began.

Sure enough, a green portal appeared not even ten seconds after they entered the trees. Tory looked from Fluttershy, to his best friend. He gave the guy a look that said ‘this is your last chance to go back’. Cory simply nodded, and they all stepped through.

Behind them, Grace had seen the whole event. Tory had told her he’d leave tonight, so she’d been following him all day. Now she understood why he thought no one would find him. It was pretty hard to track someone through a portal, especially since Earth didn’t have that kind of thing. It had amazed her that such things existed. She only thought of them as fictional things that belonged in manga and anime. What had really surprised her though was that Cory was with them. Tory had said someone else hopefully, but Grace never thought it’d be HIM!

She noticed the portal begin to shrink out of existence, and she did the most irrational thing she had ever done: she jumped in. The portal closed behind her, leaving not even a trace that it had ever existed, or the people that had gone through it…

Confrontations

‘Confrontations’

Tory opened his eyes to find himself and his friends inside Zecora‘s hut once more. A green light covered the room, casting long, menacing shadows along the walls. Looking behind him, Tory saw the large cauldron, with Zecora on the other end. She smiled at them, and walked over.

“Good to see that you are back,” she rhymed. “It seems that courage you do not lack.”

“Glad to be back Zecora!” Tory said to the zebra. He looked over his shoulders at his friends. “Especially since I have them with me.”

Cory was looking around the room with interest. Beside him, Fluttershy had returned to her original form, her beautiful pegasus form. She looked at him with eyes that said, ‘I still love you, even if it is forbidden!’ Then Cory turned around, and noticed Zecora. With a speed that rivaled Rainbow Dash’s, the teen dashed over to her and wrapped her in a large hug.

“Holy awesome sauce of Equestria!” He said. “I’m actually here aren’t I?!”

“Would you be so kind as to release me now?” Zecora breathed out. “It’s quite like being crushed by a cow!”

Cory reluctantly put the zebra down, and stepped back embarrassed. Zecora huffed once, and turned to Tory.

“For what reason did you bring him by?” she asked. “We have no need for another human guy.”

“Cory is more knowledgeable of Equestria than I am,” Tory responded. “Plus I couldn’t leave behind my closest friend!”

Before Zecora could respond, her cauldron exploded in green light, and another figure popped out. When the light died, everyone saw the newest arrival. But none of them could have been more shocked than Tory. Standing before them, was Grace.

“G-Grace?!” Tory exclaimed. “What are you doing here?!”

“Tory?” she said. “Where are we? What’s going on, and why did you leave?”

Zecora stepped back, complete shock on her face. How had this girl managed to follow them through? Why were all of these humans flocking to her? She was about to order the girl and strange haired teen out, but a look from Tory told her to not speak a word. Zecora didn’t know why she should be silent in her own home, but something bitting at the back of her brain said that maybe it would be a good idea to see how things played out.

“Grace, calm down.” Tory said slowly. “Don’t do anything rash. I’m willing to explain, but you have to trust me, and relax.”

Grace began to breathe deeply, and let herself sink to her knees. Tory looked at Fluttershy, his eyes asking if he could help the poor girl. She had girlfriend rights, and Tory sure as hell wasn’t going to keep them from her. He had spent the entire third day explaining how relationships on Earth worked.

Fluttershy nodded, and Tory crouched down beside his old friend. He placed his arms around her shoulders, and she leaned into him. Cory watched on in silence, his eyes never leaving the scene that unfolded in front of him. Grace listened quietly as Tory told her everything, from how he became a brony, to leaving Earth the second time. He omitted some details, but that was because what happened between him and Fluttershy, stayed between him and Fluttershy.

“You mean to tell me,” Grace said slowly. “That you were pulled into a world by a ZEBRA, and given a second chance at life among HORSES? Do you take me for some lunatic?!”

“Grace, I’m serious,” Tory said sternly. “Is it so hard to believe, when you came through a portal not even five minutes ago? Besides, they aren’t horses, they’re ponies. More specifically, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. There are no humans here, besides us.”

Grace just looked at Tory like he was crazy. She had thought he had changed, but he still seemed like the childish idiot he’d always been. She shook her head. If Tory didn’t want to tell her the truth, then he should just say so. He shouldn’t have to lie so lamely.

“I see you’re not going to believe me,” Tory said with a sigh. “Okay Fluttershy, I guess you’re the only one who can make her see. Cory, get behind her so she doesn’t knock anything over.”

Cory took a few steps, and positioned himself at an angle that was in line with Grace and Fluttershy. The pegasus walked up to the girl, and spread her wings as wide as they would go. She kicked off the ground, and let her wings carry her weight. Grace fell backwards onto Cory, who simply stared in awe. He didn’t remember Fluttershy being so beautiful!

Her wings spread out beside her gave the pegasus an angelic look. Her pink hair held this bounce he had not seen in the show, yet her eyes remained as soft as ever. Cory understood why Tory felt so fond of her now. But one question still buzzed through his mind. If Fluttershy was this attractive, what did Twilight look like?

“Please don’t be afraid, Grace,” Fluttershy said in her gentle tone. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Th-that voice!” Grace stuttered. “I-it’s you!”

“Easy now,” Tory said calmly. “We never meant any harm. Fluttershy wouldn’t even hurt a fly, am I right Cory?”

The teen nodded, unsure of what he agreed to. He’d been thinking about everything that would change for him. Things would be so different from now on. No longer would he take shit from teachers or his parents! Cory was his own man now, with a chance to be someone completely different. The first item on his agenda: find a place to live. After that came getting a job, and then working towards his favorite goal: getting Twilight. Suddenly, Grace’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“This is too much to handle,” she said. “I need some fresh air.”

“Don’t get too far,” Fluttershy called to her. “The Everfree forest is more dangerous than you can imagine!”

Tory saw Grace’s eys flash with indignation, and she dashed out of the door without a word. Fluttershy looked sad about something, so Tory gave her a hug to help calm her nerves. He had vowed to protect the one that he loved with his dying breath, and he would hold fast to it. That was his life’s purpose, to protect Fluttershy. He heard a gasp come from Cory, and turned to find the teen staring at him in shock.

“What’s up Cory?” he asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Tory, check your side,” he said quietly, pointing down at him. “I saw something glowing.”

Tory lifted his shirt, and everyone gasped. Imprinted on the side of his hip, was a large golden shield with a pink heart within the center. He touched it, to see if it was real, and it felt warm to the touch. The imprint moved with his skin, and Tory knew what it was.

“A cutie mark?” he asked, stupefied. “But I’m not a pony. How could I get one?”

“The mark is proof of one’s belief,” Zecora rhymed. “Only when they realized what they were meant to do, will they receive.”

“But what does yours mean?” Cory asked.

“I think I know,” Fluttershy said with an understanding smile. Her eyes pierced into his soul, filling him with a warmth that bested even the Hellfire Wave. Her love and safety were the most important things to him. “And I couldn’t think of anything better for it to be.”

Cory knew that now would be a good time to step out, and he took his leave. But before he closed the door, he left them with something everyone hadn’t expected.

“Hey Tory,” he said. “You’d better not let the Cutie Mark Crusaders see that. They’d be so upset that someone new to Equestria had gotten a mark is so short a time, when they’ve been trying to do so forever!”

With than, he closed the door, leaving Tory, Fluttershy, and Zecora alone in the room. The two lovers held each other closely, and looked at the tribal zebra, who was chuckling.

“Such interesting beings you humans are,” she said. “Maybe bringing you here was indeed smart.”

Tory still wondered why he had been offered a second life. It confused him to no end that he of all people had been picked. But he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he shrugged off the question. Looking around at the assorted plants on the shelves, Tory remembered that he had one thing to do for the zebra.

“Oh Zecora,” he said. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, so I took the liberty of locating ancient tribal remedies and writing them down for you. Hopefully you won’t have to use them, but it never hurts to have something around to help.”

Handing a piece of paper to the zebra, she looked it over with interest. Tory smiled as his gift obviously pleased her. He put his arm around Fluttershy, and decided that leaving would be the best thing to do now. As he walked out the door, he heard Zecora call out to him.

“Thank you boy for the helpful advice,” she rhymed. “It is rare to see any being so nice. Your gift shall be cherished for many years to come. I’m sure these remedies will save the lives of some.”

Tory left with Fluttershy. As he stepped outside, the darkness engulfed him. He thought he had fainted once more, but he felt no pain, and Fluttershy was still with him. He squinted his eyes to see if anyone was nearby. Sure enough, Cory was leaning against a tree, keeping an eye on Grace.

“How goes things?” he asked his friend. “She didn’t give you any trouble did she?”

“Nah, she’s been asleep since I came out here.” Cory replied. “I guess the entire ordeal finally took it’s toll on her mind.”

“Heheheh, well we’d best get out of here. The forest is bound to be crawling with all manner of beasts. Think you can carry her?” Tory asked.

Cory nodded and lifted up the unconscious girl. They walked through the forest in silence. The only sounds were the crickets, and Grace’s soft breathing. Not even Fluttershy was making a sound, as she was resting atop Tory’s head. He thought it was adorable, and could just picture her sleeping form on his brown hair. Tory had decided that he wouldn’t wear a hat anymore. Fluttershy said it hid such a handsome part of him. And if she said it, then Tory believed it.

Tory led them back through the woods slowly, trying to recall when he had come here in an attempt to escape Equestria for good. Pinkie had led them through the forest while he had hung back and talked with Fluttershy. He remembered the chrysanthemums on the left, and the blue joke flowers that dotted the area to the right, and then noticed hoof prints within the mud. He stopped for a second to check them, and saw that they were somewhat fresh.

“Someone has been here recently,” he told Cory. “And by the looks of it, they were coming from Zecora’s. Look there, another set of prints…and there as well! It looks like a whole group of ponies went by here recently…The other elements perhaps?”

“Uh Tory,” his friend asked. “How are you able to see them in the dark? I can barely see you two feet in front of me.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Tory told him. “Maybe my mark has something to do with it?”

“Since when did cutie marks have powers?” Cory asked.

“Maybe since they could be applied on humans.” Tory said, thinking aloud. “We’re in a magical world where almost anything is possible. Maybe receiving a mark amplified something inside me, like plugging in external speakers to a computer. It could have positive or negative effects on the body, depending on a couple variables.”

“So now you can see in the dark?”

“Yeah I guess that’s the gist of it.”

“Awesome sauce! Then lets hurry and get out of here! The Everfree forest gives me the creeps!”

Tory kept his eyes on the hoof prints in the mud. As he expected, they led straight to Ponyville. They veered off towards Twilight’s place, and it confirmed Tory’s theory that the tracks had belonged to the other Elements of Harmony. Had they been looking for Fluttershy?

“Tory?” came Fluttershy’s voice atop his head. “Where are we?”

“At the outskirts of Ponyville,” he told her. “We just left the forest.”

Fluttershy stretched her wings, and gently got off of Tory’s head. She kissed him on the cheek, and took the lead, heading straight for her cottage. Tory decided that his friend had carried Grace too long when he saw the guy panting, and took her off his hands. She was lighter than he had imagined, and Tory didn’t even break a sweat on the trek.

As they approached the cottage, Grace began to stir in Tory’s arms. He set her down, and she opened her eyes to see him still beside her. Grace was surprised to see him so close to her. She blushed, but it was barely visible. Slowly getting to her feet, she noticed the change in scenery from forest to meadow. She saw the cottage, and wondered who lived there.

“Grace, welcome to Fluttershy’s cottage,” Tory said plainly.

“She owns this place?” Grace asked.

Fluttershy took them inside, and showed them around. Sleep gripped at each of them, and they decided that it was time to go to sleep. Tory pulled out the futon, which was given to Cory, Grace was placed in the guest room, and Tory shared the master bedroom with Fluttershy. Grace went to bed without saying a word, just doing as she was told. Cory helped her up the stairs, then layed himself down on the rolled out bed. It had taken them minutes to fall asleep. Tory and Fluttershy couldn’t sleep though.

The two of them stepped outside into the now cool weather. Spring had arrived recently to Ponyville. Winter Wrap Up had gone by without a hitch again since Twilight Sparkle was organizing the event. A gentle breeze carried the scent of warm days to come. Tory welcomed it, as the perfect start to his life with Fluttershy.

But one thing still nagged at Tory. He had told his love nearly everything. The one secret he had left would be unpleasant, and might destroy everything they had, but the guilt knawed at his insides until he felt hollow. He had to tell Fluttershy about Discord!

“Fluttershy,” Tory began once more. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. I’ve been keeping a secret with me since the second day I had spent here in Equestria.”

“Tory,” Fluttershy said, cutting him off. “You know that you can trust me with anything. And I trust you with all of my soul. Whatever you have to tell me, I’ll remain by your side.”

“I-I know, and that’s what makes this so hard.” he said. “You see, when Pinkie Pie found me, and I collapsed for the first time, Discord came to me. He tried to turn me against all of you.”

Fluttershy gasped, and Tory knew that there was no turning back now. He had opened the door, and invited the hurricane inside. He felt his voice waver with each word. He continued to confess again, but this time there was no confidence within him.

“Every day that I had spent here, Discord had haunted my dreams. He refused to let me say no, and tried everything he could to sway my opinion. Every time I collapsed, he was there. He even followed me back to Earth, and gave me one last warning. He said I had a week to change my mind. If I didn’t submit to him…”

“Oh Tory,” Fluttershy whispered, horrified. “How could he do something like that?”

“When the sun rises tomorrow, there will only be two days left. I don’t know what to do! If I don’t give in, I know he’s going to hurt you, I just KNOW it! I swore that I’d protect you with my dying breath, and I will!…But what if it isn’t enough? What if he overpowers me? I can’t do anything! I don’t have any powers, or talents!”

“Tory Mills,” Fluttershy said sternly, “What makes you think so little of yourself?! You’ve shown me nothing but kindness since the day I met you! Were those the actions of someone that can’t do anything? I KNOW that you’ll make the right choice when the time comes! You’ve got a good heart. It’s one of the reasons that I love you.”

Fluttershy kissed him softly, and beckoned for him to come inside. As they walked into the warm cottage, a window on the second floor closed. Grace had heard the whole conversation! She didn’t understand anything about that Discord guy, but she knew when a person was in love. She could feel the pain in Tory’s voice as he told Fluttershy everything. Yet she still accepted him even though he had kept such a large secret from her.

Grace fought back the tears that threatened to roll down her face. She KNEW it wasn’t right for the two of them to be in love. Even if she accepted the fact that they were on another world, she didn’t have to accept that Tory was in love with a pony! It made no sense to her! Every day on the bus she had sat by him, and he had always given her this look that showed he still cared. But on the bus that Monday morning, the look had vanished completely.

Grace had thought maybe it was jealousy at the time, but she knew she couldn’t feel jealous. Now she wasn’t so sure. Her heart beat faster whenever Tory got close to her. The idea of him liking this…monster appalled her. She had to stop it somehow! And she had two days to do it…

I.I.I

The next morning had gone smooth. Once everyone was awake, they all walked into town, which attracted plenty of attention. By now, everypony had heard of the strange creature that walked on two legs. But they had thought there was only one in town. Suddenly, there were three walking down the main road. But no pony said anything, just kept to themselves.

“You weren’t kidding when you said we were the only humans here, were you Tory?” Grace asked him.

“Told ya,” he called over his shoulder. “Don’t be afraid of them Grace, they won’t bite. The ponies of Ponyville are generally nice, for the most part. Just don’t make any sudden moves, or say the wrong thing. Everypony here will fight back if-…Oh, excuse me for a second guys.”

Tory turned around, and jogged towards a gray pegasus with amber eyes. As he approached them, he got down on one knee and began to speak softly. Grace couldn’t make out the words, but from the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was grateful for something. After a few more seconds, he ruffled the pony’s mane, and got back up. She brushed up against his legs, and flew off, a smile on her face.

“Dude,” Cary said. “Was that Derpy Hooves?”

“Yeah,” Tory replied. “She kind of helped me out before I left Ponyville. I just wanted to thank her for what she did.”

“What did she do?” Grace asked.

“Well at first, she led me to the Everfree forest…The one we were in last night,” he added as he saw the look on Grace’s face. “Once we got there, she tried to follow me in. I thought it was because she thought I needed protecting from anything inside. After I tried to send her back, she bit my leg. When I looked at her, she just up and left. That was when Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie ran up to me. I don’t know if she knew they were coming to me, but I’d like to think she did. So I thanked her for all the help.”

“So…Derpy Hooves isn’t Derpy?” Cory asked.

“No, she is,” Tory said. “But it’s like a controlled derpyness. The lights are on, but it’s only kids inside. The adults went on a permanent vacation.”

Fluttershy laughed at that. She had neve heard someone speak so hilariously about Derpy. Usually people laughed at her, or was mean to her. But Tory was nice, and treated Derpy like she was a close friend.

“I’ve been wondering about one thing though,” Fluttershy said, getting everyone’s attention. “What does ‘Derpy’ mean? I know it’s her name, but I don’t understand the word.”

“Well, derpy means you’re…kinda spacey for one,” Tory told her. “Usually everyone has a derp moment, where they just zone out. You’re called derpy if you do it frequently. Hence the reason she is called ‘Derpy Hooves’.”

“Okay now,” Grace said, breaking the conversation. “I think she gets it. Lets get into town so we can continue our lives!”

She stomped ahead of the group, getting uneasy glances from passing ponies. Tory, Fluttershy, and Cory just stared after her. What had been said to get her so worrked up?

“She certainly is touchy today,” Cory whispered to his friend.

“I just hope that she’ll come to accept everything that’s happened.”Tory replied. “ She going to be here for a while, so she’d best get confortable.”

“Maybe she should meet Pinky?” Fluttershy suggested.

Tory thought about that for a second. It sounded like a good idea to him. Pinkie was the element of Laughter, and was capable of brightening anyone’s day. If she couldn’t make Grace feel more welcome and happy, then no one could.

“That’s a pretty good idea Fluttershy,” Tory said, kissing her cheek. “Lets head over to the Sugarcube Corner right away. I’m sure Pinkie will be happy to see us again.”

Everyone walked in silence towards the shop. As they walked, Cory kept thinking about how to do things. He wanted to make a good impression on Twilight, but he didn’t want to seem like he was trying to. His thoughts kept him so preoccupied, he didn’t notice Tory stop, and crashed into him, sending them both to the ground. Fluttershy giggled, and both boys busted out laughing.

“I hear laughter! Who’s having fun without me?!” cried out a very bubbly voice.

The door to the shop opened to reveal Pinkie Pie. She gasped when she saw everyone there, and raced over to Tory and Fluttershy. Before the two had time to react, Pinkie locked the two of them in a hug that began to choke them.

“YAY, my friends are back!” she shouted. “How was your trip? Did you two have fun? What was it like Fluttershy? Was it hot there? Was it cold? Hey, who are these people? Are they friends of yours Tory? Are they nice?”

Before the pink pony could get another question out, Fluttershy covered her mouth with a hoof. Pinkie tried to keep talking, but the only thing that could be heard was a bunch of muffled sounds and grunts. Cory laughed at how cheery Pinkie was. He broke his friends out of her choke hug, and introduced himself while they got their breaths back.

“Wow, nice hair,” she commented. “How do you get it to stay up like that? Did you use some kind of hairspray? Is it just naturally poofy?”

“That’s my secret,” Cory said with a smile. Pinkie whined, but she didn’t persist. “Maybe if you throw my friend here a hugy party though, I MIGHT be willing to tell you how I do it.”

“Hey that’s a good idea,” Tory said breaking into the conversation. “A party is just the thing to lighten the mood around here. And who better to plan it than Pinkie Pie?”

“Yay, party! I love throwing parties!” the pink pony said. “I haven’t thrown a party in weeks! I was gonna do one for you Tory, but you left before I got the chance! Now I get to put one on for all THREE of you!”

“No thanks,” Grace said. “I’m not a party person. I’d prefer to just unwind with a good story.”

“I’m not a party person either,” Tory commented. “But no one can refuse Pinkie’s parties. She’s known for throwing the best parties this side of Equestria. You haven‘t lived until you‘ve been to one!”

Both Fluttershy and Cory nodded. It was a commonly known fact. Turning Pinkie’s party down was like saying you hated anything fun! It was just that simple!

“Don’t worry my newest friendly friends!” Pinkie said exuberantly. “Pinkamena won’t diappoint you!”

“Wait, Pinkie!” Tory called out. “I have a gift for you!”

As she came back, Tory pulled out the Shounen Jump comics he had brought her. Grace looked at him in surpise. Almost every volume she had, Tory had as well. By the looks of it, he was giving all of them to Pinkie. The pony opened them, and Tory explained how they work.

“They’re sort of like picture books, just more…actiony.” He explained. “You start here in the back, and go from right to left, top to bottom…See? It’s not so hard after the first volume. What do you think?”

“I love it!” Pinkie shouted happily. “No one ever gives me anything, and I usually don’t buy myself anything either! All of my money goes to parties, so I never have anything to play with or read! Thank you Tory, you’re so nice! I’ll read them right after I get the party planned!”

“Just don’t go too fast through them,” Tory said. “It’s good to read them, but they always go by too quick. But I’m glad you like them.”

With that, the pink pony bounced away, to schedule her first party in a while. After she went back inside the shop, the four companions continued down the road. It was silent for a minute before Tory spoke out.

“I didn’t realize that ‘Pinkie’ was short for ‘Pinkamena’. “

“Really?” Cory asked. “I thought you’d seen enough episodes by now to know that much.”

“Nope,” Tory responded. “I only finished episode twenty-nine recently before coming here. My bro’s computer sucks, so it took about an hour to load up a whole episode. It doesn’t help when your internet connection is weak and distant. The only time I ever got a good connection was at school. Even then, I still didn’t watch often. I was still too shy to let my secret out.”

“Ah,” Cory said, nodding in understanding. “So you’ve missed plenty of info.”

“Yeah,” Tory agreed. “But it’s okay, I can learn about what happened while I’m here. Or not actually! That’s all in the past! I’m going to be enjoying my time here, so why worry about what happened some time ago?”

“Because something might come back to get you,” Fluttershy warned him. She was trying to tell him to be careful, without letting his secret slip. “We don’t know if something bad could happen again.”

“I guess you’re right Fluttershy.” Tory admitted.

Everyone stopped talking as they saw that they had come to their next destination. Instead of Rarity’s Boutique, or Twilight’s library, they had decided that it was time to visit Applejack’s farm. That was one of the ponies that Tory still hadn’t seen. It would be good to meet someone that didn’t want him gone…At least, not yet.

Once word got out that Tory and Fluttershy were back, Twilight and Rarity were sure to get Applejack and Rainbow Dash on their side. After that, it was anyone’s guess. But Tory had a feeling it’d be something like them running him and his friends straight back to Earth.

A loud banging sound was heard in the distance, and Tory saw a shaking tree atop a small hill nearby. He smiled, knowing that Applejack was harvesting her apples. He motioned for everyone to follow him. As they got closer, the banging grew louder and louder. Finally, Tory saw an orange blur past a few trees, and looked back at his friends.

Fluttershy looked kind of nervous, but she smiled at him. Cory looked around, taking everything in. Grace just looked at them, her face showing no emotion. Tory wondered if she would even TRY to be a part of things.

He turned back to the front, and walked out of the tree line. He stepped on a twig, and Applejack turned to look at them. Her blonde hair glittered in the sunlight, and her orange body looked like fire. Her green eyes flew to Fluttershy, and she ran over to the pegasus.

“Fluttershy!” She called out. “Well ain’t you sigh’ for sore eyes! Where ya been? Twilight an’ the gang have been lookin’ for you a while! We was all worried!”

“I-I’m sorry Applejack,” Fluttershy stammered, something she didn’t do often now. “I j-just went somewhere w-with a friend.”

That was when Applejack noticed Tory and the others. She looked up at them, and stepped protectively in front of Fluttershy. Tory smiled, knowing that she would do something like that. Applejack was known for her bravery, stubbornness, and honesty. She was like the older sister everyone wanted.

Tory got down on his knees, and held out a hand. Applejack looked from it, to him, and back. Reluctantly, she shook his hand, but never letting the others out of her sight.

“Hi,” Tory began. “My name is Tory Mills. These are my friends Cory, and Grace. It’s a pleasure to meet you! Fluttershy has told me such good things about you.”

Applejack turned back to look at her friend, but found the pegasus had flown over her head to be beside Tory. She saw something flicker in the pony’s eyes, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She disregarded it, and replied to Tory’s introduction.

“Well ya’ll can call me Applejack,” she said. “What can I do ya for?”

“Tory and his friends just got here,” Fluttershy explained. “And I thought it might be good for them to meet all of my friends. They’ve already met Pinkie, Twilight, and Rarity. I thought it would be a good idea for them to meet the best apple bucking pony around.”

“I don’ know ‘bout best,” Applejack replied modestly. “I’m just doin’ my job.”

“But to have so many trees to get to, you must be pretty good,” Cory insisted.

“Well, maybe…”

Everyone but Grace laughed. She just turned away. Tory noticed this, but he ignored it. If she wanted to be sour, then let her! He wasn’t going to let her bad mood ruin everyone’s fun.

“So ya’ll ain’t from ‘round here?” Applejack asked. “Well if ya want, my family has a spare room. I could put one of ya up for a while. But ya gotta be willin’ ta work.”

“I’d be willing to put the work in,” Cory said, coming over. “I was hoping to get a job anyways.”

“Then that’s settled,” Tory said. “And before I forget, I brought you a present Applejack. It was something my sister gave me years ago. It holds sentimental value to me, but I want you to have it.”

Tory untied the hat from his backpack, and handed it to the orange pony. She tried it on, and found it fit like a glove! She looked at Tory with appreciation. She forgot her hat down at the barn, and hadn’t had a chance to go collect it. She’d been burning up under the sun.

“Well that’s mighty nice of ya Tory,” Applejack said, thanking him. “I’ll treat it with care.”

“Glad to have met you,” he replied. “Hope I’ll see you around. “

“I’m sure ya will, if’n you’re friends with Fluttershy.” Applejack told him. Then she turned to Cory, and motioned for him to follow her. “Come along now you. We gotta git you settled in.”

Cory went along with her reluctantly. Tory knew he was hoping to meet Twilight today. Looked like it would have to wait. He turned back to his two remaining friends, and thought about what they should do next. He’d met everypony besides Rainbow Dash, and Tory had a feeling it would be hard to find her. Besides, Grace obviously wasn’t feeling in the mood to do anything. Then Fluttershy came to his rescue once more.

“Hey look up there.” She said, pointing at the sky. A blue dot was lazing about on a cloud. “I think it’s Rainbow Dash…Rainbow!”

The blue pegasus got up at the sound of her name. She looked down to see Fluttershy standing beside a tall, strange looking creature. Then Rainbow remembered what Twilight had said about someone named Tory that looked like that.

“He looked really suspicious,” She said. “If you come across him, be careful. And keep him away from Fluttershy.”

Rainbow Dash jumped off her cloud, and raced towards the group. She didn’t slow down as she came near, and Tory realized that she was coming right for him. He caught on a second too late though, as Rainbow smashed into him. Tory was sent flying back into a tree. He crashed into it hard, and a couple apples fell on his head.

He was vaguely aware of Fluttershy and Grace calling out to him, but he couldn’t make his mouth move. He saw Grace running towards him, and Rainbow holding Fluttershy back, then his vision blurred. Everything went black, and he passed out…again.

I.I.I

“TORY!” Grace and Fluttershy cried out.

The golden pegasus tried to go to her lover, but felt a pair of arms holding her back. She turned around to see Rainbow pulling her away.

“Rainbow, let me go!” she cried. “I have to help him!”

Fluttershy struggled within Rainbow’s grip, but the blue pegasus had a tight hold on her. She kicked and screamed, but Rainbow refused to let go.

“I can’t let you Fluttershy,” Rainbow said. “I promised Twilight I’d look after you.”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy spat. “She doesn’t understand anything! Rainbow let me go now! I won’t let you keep me away from him!”

“Fluttershy! What’s wrong with you?” Rainbow said as she struggled to keep a hold on her friend. “I’ve never seen you act this way!”

“Because you’ve never been in love!” Fluttershy spat.

That made Rainbow lose her focus, and her grip on the golden pegasus. Breaking free, Fluttershy sped towards Tory, barely caring who saw her right now. Rainbow stood there looking on. Fluttershy, in love? Was that why Twilight had told Rainbow to keep the boy away from her? It confused the blue pegasus to no end. Why would that warrant such mistrust in Twilight?

“Love?” Rainbow Dash whispered to herself. “Is that really such a bad thing?”

Dismissing the thought, Rainbow glided down to her friend and the other two. As she landed, the other girl looked at her, and took a position between her and Tory. The look in her eyes told Rainbow everything, so she stopped there.

“Keep away from him you monster!” Grace spat at her. “Come one step closer and you’ll regret it!”

“Grace, I need your help!” Fluttershy called. “Go get Applejack, and tell her to bring a bucket of water! Tory’s burning up, we have to cool him down right away!”

Casting one last glare at Rainbow, Grace dashed down the slope. Fluttershy looked at her love intensely. His body wasn’t actually hot, but instead pulsing. She knew he was being contacted by Discord. His breath was ragged, and he mumbled in his troubled sleep.

“Never…” Tory muttered. “Not in…million lives.”

“What’s going on?” Rainbow said, coming up. “I didn’t hit him that hard!”

“No you didn’t,” Fluttershy retorted. “But that attack was the perfect excuse.”

“Excuse? For what?” Rainbow asked.

Fluttershy cursed herself for letting that slip. How was she going to keep Tory’s secret now? If she didn’t tell Rainbow, then SHE would tell Twilight. And SHE would act like her suspicions were right, and run Tory out of town! Why was everything so difficult for them?

“Look Rainbow,” Fluttershy began. “Before I tell you anything, you have to Pinkie swear not to let anyone know what was said.“

“I don’t see why, but fine,” Rainbow said.

“Discord is trying to return again. It seems that we missed something when we imprisoned him,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow gasped at this, but didn’t say anything. “Tory’s been fighting him at every turn in his dreams. But time is running out, and in two days, something terrible will happen.”

“What?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “We have to alert Celestia! If Discord returns-”

“I know!” Fluttershy cried out. “But you promised! Rainbow please, if anyone finds out, they would do terrible things to him! Maybe even kill him! I can’t let that happen!”

Rainbow was torn in two. She had promised her closest friend she would not tell anyone, but her loyalty to all of Equestria was at stake too. Representing the Element of Loyalty, this really hurt Rainbow. She shook her head, and turned around. Her friendship was important, but the lives of Everypony was at stake!

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy shouted at her. “What are you planning to do? Are you going to Celestia?”

“I have to Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said sternly. “Discord cannot be allowed to return!”

“Don’t even try!” Fluttershy snarled, stepping in front of her friend. “I’ll fight you if I have to!”

“Fluttershy, you couldn’t even hurt a fly,” Rainbow commented. “How do you expect to take me down?”

“I’ll do it with my dying breath if I must! I won’t let you or anyone hurt him!”

Rainbow saw the conviction in Fluttershy’s eyes, and stepped back. She was serious! This confused the blue pegasus. When had her normally timid friend become so bold? It had been only a few days since she’d last seen the pony!

“You really intend to go through with this, don’t you? You love him that much, huh?” Rainbow asked calmly. Fluttershy nodded, never letting her guard down. “Then show me just how strong your love is! Come at me!”

Fluttershy launched herself at Rainbow, her front hooves extended. The blue pegasus dodged, and kicked backwards at her friend. The hit landed, and Fluttershy was sent backward. She stopped herself mid air, and called on every once of strengh she had. Her body disappeared in a golden light, blinding Rainbow.

Something kicked the blue pegasus hard in the back, sending her into a tree. Then something hit her from the side, then the stomach, then the face. A flurry of blows came at Rainbow Dash from every direction. Try though she might, the blue pegasus couldn’t escape the onslaught! She fell to the ground, panting. Fluttershy reappeared in front of her. Her eyes held no sympathy now, just rage.

Rainbow lashed out with a hoof, knocking Fluttershy to the ground beside her. She got up and pinned her friend to the ground. The golden pegasus struggled once more under her friend’s grip, but it was pointless.

“I WON’T LET YOU TAKE HIM!!” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs. “I’LL FIGHT WITH EVERY ONCE OF MY BEING TO PROTECT HIM!!! HE’D DO THE SAME FOR ME!!!”

Rainbow saw tears streaking down her friend’s face. She sighed once, and climbed off. Sitting down, she let Fluttershy’s glare pierce her. She didn’t want to fight her friend over some boy. They’d be no better than a bunch of schoolgirls then.

“Okay Fluttershy,” Rainbow said calmly. “You win…I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone. I’ll keep your secret safe, I promise.”

“Rainbow,” her friend whispered. “Thank you so much…Oh no, I left him alone!”

The two pegasi dashed over to the unconscious boy. He looked so peaceful there, Fluttershy though. It was such a shame that their love was so forbidden. He muttered in his sleep once more, this time it was the full sentence.

“Discord you bastard,” Tory said. “If you touch a single strand of hair on her beautiful head, I’ll rip you from limb to limb, and burn you to nothing. I will die before you can have her.”

“Does he always do this?” Rainbow whispered.

“No, but things have gotten so intense recently.” Fluttershy said back. “It’s no surprise that he’d let a few words slip while unconscious.”

Rainbow Dash looked from the unconscious boy to Fluttershy. The look she gave him was so concerned, so worried with his well being, that it startled the blue pegasus how fierce she could get when he was in danger. She sighed once, and asked the most obvious question.

“You two really love each other that much, huh?” she asked. When Fluttershy nodded, she continued. “You know that you can never really be together? He’s not one of us.”

“I don’t care,” Fluttershy said, her eyes flashing in anger. “We’ll find a way. We’ve done so before, we can do it again…Will you try to keep me away from him?”

“…Twilight told me to keep him away from you, not the other way around.“ she replied. “But are you sure?”

“With every fiber of my being!” Fluttershy said sternly. “I want nothing more than to be with him! If I have to spend my entire life searching, then I will!”

“For a creature that isn’t even one of us?”

“Why does race seem to matter so much?!” Fluttershy lashed out. “If you ponies were in love, then maybe you’d understand! If you knew how much one could do with your love beside you, you’d take every risk possible to be together!”

“Maybe,” Rainbow agreed. “But I don’t think I’ll ever find that special someone.”

“Because you haven’t looked hard enough,” came the reply beside the two pegasi.

Both turned to see Tory pushing himself up. Fluttershy ran up to him and began to kiss him rapidly. He blushed deeper with every kiss, making Fluttershy laugh. Rainbow smiled at the two of them. It seemed they really were made for each other! She turned to walk away, but Fluttershy called her back.

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy began. “I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced to Tory Mills. He’s a human, from another world, and the love of my life. Tory, I think you had some things to say?”

“It’s great to meet you Rainbow,” he said. “I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time.”

“Oh, well thanks.” Rainbow Dash said shyly. “I’m uh, sorry about knocking you into that tree.”

“No worries,” Tory said with a smile. “But if you want to make it up to me, you can take these magazines off my hands. I don’t read them, but I think you might like them. They’re all sports related.”

Tory handed her the paperbacks, and she began to browse through them. Her eyes lit up at all of the events and cool pictures. She gave Tory a look that said everything, and hugged him. He blushed lightly, then looked at Fluttershy. She only laughed, which got him laughing.

“Now then,” Tory said. “You really think you’ll never find love?”

“I’m not sure,” Rainbow said quietly. “I mean, I hope to one day…”

“Look Rainbow,” Tory started. “Love is unpredictable. It can come from the most unlikely of places. Look at me. Somehow, Fluttershy fell in love with this.”

This got both pegasi laughing. Tory smiled as they did. He was entirely serious, but why should everything be like that? Like is so much more fun when it isn’t.

“I don’t think you look bad,” Fluttershy said, landing on his head. “You look great to me.”

“See what I mean?” he asked Rainbow. “What I’m trying to say is, just get out there. Talk with ponies, see what happens. You’ll know when you’ve found that special somepony, trust me.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, and thanked him for the advice. She grabbed her new magazines, and jumped into the air. Her wings flapped, and she was gone. When the clearing became silent, Tory looked up at Fluttershy.

“You think I really look great?” he asked jokingly.

“I do,” she said back, kissing his forehead. “You’ve got a great smile, and your eyes are so beautiful.”

“I don’t know about all that,” he replied shyly.

“You’re just trying to be modest,” Fluttershy said back, getting off his head and landing in his lap. “You really are great Tory. I couldn’t have found a better person to fall in love with.”

Tory began to stroke her hair. Soon her breath became regular and even, showing that she was asleep. The scent of rose drifted up to him, tickling his nose. He let his head rest against the wood. He thought back to his last dream with Discord.

“By tomorrow’s end, she will belong to me! There is nothing you can do boy!” Discord had said. “Join me, and I may spare her. You’ve got until sunset tomorrow to think it over.”

“Sunset,” Tory whispered. “What should I do? I swore to always protect her. My mark even symbolizes it. But if I don’t agree, something will happen to Fluttershy. But if I agree, he’ll make me release him, do things I would never even THINK about…By Celestia, what should I do?”

Tory let his thoughts drift around, until exhaustion gripped at him. He closed his eyes, and let sleep claim him. This time, his dreams were peaceful…

I.I.I

Cory had run harder than ever when Grace came to him. She said Tory was attacked by a blue pegasus, and was unconscious. By the sound of it, the attacker was Rainbow dash. Applejack was carrying the water, running beside them. Then they heard something that chilled them to the bone…

“I WON’T LET YOU TAKE HIM!! I’LL FIGHT WITH EVERY ONCE OF MY BEING TO PROTECT HIM!!! HE’D DO THE SAME FOR ME!!!”

That made all of them pick up the pace. As they approached the top of the hill where they were earlier, Cory could make out two figures under a tree. His heart began to race when he saw they weren’t moving. Without thinking, he grabbed the bucket from Applejack, and ran towards them. He tossed the water on them, making them cry out in surprise.

“Holy shit that’s cold!” Tory swore.

“Ahh! Please don’t hurt me!” Fluttershy cried out.

Cory looked confused. Where was Rainbow Dash? Wasn’t Tory supposed to be in pain? Just what happened? He looked over at Grace, to see her smiling evilly at Fluttershy.

“Is she…jealous?” he thought. “Did she make us do that just to spite Fluttershy?”

“Cory? Is that you?” Tory asked, regaining his senses. “What the hell was that for?”

“Grace came and got me,” he said. “She told us that you were attacked?”

“Oh yeah, Rainbow.”

“She did what now?!” Applejack asked. “Why’d she do sumthin so beetle-brained?”

“She told me Twilight asked her to keep me away from him,” Fluttershy said. “It wasn’t until I fought her that she gave up.”

“You fought Rainbow Dash?” Tory asked, surprised. “But she’s like your best friend!”

“Yeah,” Fluttershy replied. “But you’re the one I love. I wasn‘t going to let even HER hurt you.”

“Woah Nelly, slow down now.” Applejack said. “Did I just hear you right? Did you just say you’re in love? With HIM?”

“Is that so hard to believe?” Fluttershy countered. “Who cares what race he is, or where he’s from! I love him and nothing you can say will change my mind!”

“Easy girl,” Applejack said smoothly. “I was just surpised is all. Didn’t think you’d ever find a guy. I couldn’t care less who he is, so long as he treats ya kindly. Does he?”

“He swore to protect me with his dying breath. What do you think?” Fluttershy said calmly.

“Well then he’s fine in my book.” Applejack said. “Now lets head on back to the farm. Sun’s goin’ down, so ya’ll can spend the night in the guest room.”

As they walked back towards the farm, Tory couldn’t help but think about Discord’s warning. He had one day left to decide. He looked at Fluttershy, knowing that she’d support him no matter what. But what if he made the wrong choice? Tomorrow could be their last day together. Tory pulled his love back from the group, and held her closely.

“Fluttershy, we don’t have much time left.” He said. “So I just want to say one thing. No matter what happens, I love you with all of my heart and soul. I’m glad that I could spend so much time with you.”

“And I’m glad that we could be together,” Fluttershy said, kissing him passionately. “I can’t think of livilng without you now.”

“Heheh, you always know the perfect thing to say.” Tory joked. “But should something bad happen tomorrow, I need to say this. If I have but this one life to live, this one day to spend with someone, I’m glad it was all with you.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Fluttershy said lovingly.

The two lovers looked up at the rising moon, and kissed once more. They would be together, no matter what. Glancing into the sky again, they saw a rainbow within the sky. It glowed brightly, despite the dark sky.

“Has to be Rainbow Dash,” Tory commented. “She must be watching us.”

“At least she has good timing,” Fluttershy replied.

They stayed under the stars for a few minutes. Fluttershy fell asleep in his lap again, and he just layed back on the soft earth. The sounds of forest animals and Fluttershy’s breathing made him drowsy. He let sleep overcome him once more, but not before kissing the one pony that had made his life complete. He was prepared to face anything tomorrow. With Fluttershy curled up beside him, Tory drifted back into sleep. His last thought was what she said about his one life to live.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way either…”

Fires of Love

‘The Fires of Love’

“TORY!!!”

Discord’s laughter rang throughout Tory’s head as he struggled in the demon’s grasp. He saw Celestia and Luna standing there, their magic useless against the monster. The Elements of Harmony had been defeated. Rarity had been turned into a gem, Rainbow Dash was stone, Pinkie Pie was surrounded by mini-Discords, Applejack lay at her feet, too injured to speak, and Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be found. The only pony that had stood her ground was Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, run away!” Tory shouted. “You have to live, please!”

“I’d rather die than be apart from you!” She cried out.

“That can be arranged,” Discord said, grabbing her. “How would you like it? Shall I kill you both at the same time, and spare you from living without the other for even a second? Or would you prefer I slowly cut you to pieces while your boyfriend watches? Either way, your deaths will be slow and agonizing…No choices? Cut to pieces it is then!”

“No! Not that!” Tory cried out. “DON’T YOU DARE BASTARD!!! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!!”

“You‘ll do no such thing!” Discord said, squeezing him. Tory felt his bones being crushed, and let out an agonizing wail. “You should have joined me Tory. I could have made you so powerful. I could have let you and her live. Instead, your punishment shall be to watch your precious Fluttershy die a most slow and painful death! Just remember boy, you brought this upon her.”

Fluttershy began to hover above Tory, her body unable to move. Swords began to spin around her, getting closer and closer with each rotation. As they came within reach, they slowly began to curb down towards her. Fluttershy screamed again, the same scream from Tory’s dreams.

“Tory! Please help me!” She cried, tears falling down her face.

“Discord, please don’t do this!” Tory begged. “I’ll do whatever you want, just please, let her go!”

“It’s too late for that,” Discord said laughing. “Her fate is sealed, as is yours.”

With a wave of his arm, Discord brought the blades down on Fluttershy. Tory shut his eyes as tight as they would go. He waited for the agonizing scream of his true love, but nothing came. Not even the sound of metal on metal as the swords crossed paths.

Tory opened his eyes, gasping for breath, to see the bright sun peering over the trees through the window. He looked to his left to see Fluttershy, wide awake and staring at him with concerned, loving eyes. He leaned down and kissed her.

“Tory, you were talking in your sleep,” she said quietly. “What happened? Did Discord visit you again?”

“No he didn’t,” Tory replied. He wished the demon had though, instead of that terrible dream. “Don’t worry about it Fluttershy. Just a bad dream.”

“Tory, I’m scared. Today feels so dark.” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do…”

“I’ve got an idea,” Tory said, forcing a smile. “Why don’t we go to Canterlot today? We can talk with Princess Celestia, and see what she has to say. We’ll check Discord’s statue, and spend the day in town, enjoying each other’s company. Does that sound good?”

Fluttershy nodded, brightening up at the thought of visiting the castle. They got out of bed, and went downstairs after Tory redressed from his now dirty pair of jeans and personal design shirt, to his black jeans and silver shirt that Rarity made for him.

Tory flinched at the thought of Rarity, who had been turned into a gem. What if that dream had been a vision? Tory had those kinds of dream on many occasions, but none of them had ever been that evil. He shook the thought out of his head, and followed Fluttershy into the kitchen.

Everyone was sitting at the table, even Grace. But what caught Tory off-guard was seeing her talking with Big Macintosh. The red guy was just sitting there, listening intently to what she said. Tory could almost say there was a glint of love in his eyes, but he dismissed that thought. He didn’t know the guy well enough to make assumptions like that.

“Mornin’ you two,” Applejack said as she saw them sit at the table. “I was wonderin’ if I was gonna hafta drag ya outta that room, ya‘ll were in there so long.”

That got everyone laughing, even Grace. Tory blushed madly at the thought, and that made them laugh even harder. He looked over at Fluttershy to see her blushing as well. He smiled at her, and turned away.

“Okay ya’ll, settle down” Applejack said. “So Tory, Fluttershy, when do you plan to, you know, tie the knot?”

This made everyone go quiet as they waited for an answer. Tory looked at Fluttershy, and found she was looking at him too. He blushed again, and thought quickly about what to say. It’s true, he was planning on marrying Fluttershy, but he hadn’t decided when yet. Finally, he spoke up.

“A day hasn’t really been decided yet.” he said. “I wanted to know everyone’s schedules beforehand, so I could set it for a day when everyone would have the day off to be there. Then I planned to go to Pinkie Pie and see what she could do in the allotted time.”

Everyone nodded their heads, realizing that made sense. Fluttershy sighed in relief, and Tory grabbed her hoof under the table to reassure her. He wanted to marry her so badly! He couldn’t wait for the day it would come!

“Well I’ll talk with Twilight, an’ see what she says. She keeps a record of everypony’s daily jobs at the library.” Applejack said.

“Oh no, you don’t have to!” Tory insisted, tensing up at Twilight’s name. “I think me and Fluttershy will stop by there later.”

“Oh, got some business” Applejack asked.

“We’re going to Canterlot,” Fluttershy said quietly. “We need to speak with Princess Celestia, and we figured Twilight might want to talk with her as well.”

“Shoot!” Applejack said suddenly. “That sounds like a great idea! I think I’ll join ya! I’ve been wanting to sell these apples to those snobby royals for a long time. They need to know what a good apple taste like! Hell, why don’t we all go? It’ll be a good chance for everyone to get together again!”

“Well uh,” Tory started. “I’m not so sure. I mean, don’t you and Cory have too much work to do?”

“No no, I insist.” Applejack said. “And Cory here deserves to see Canterlot, don’t you think?”

Tory sighed in defeat. He knew there was no way to convince Applejack once she made up her mind. But he wanted to talk with Twilight and Celestia alone, well almost alone. He was sure that he could convince them of his good intentions if he and Fluttershy did a good enough job explaining. Things just seemed to really like turning against him. His only solace was Fluttershy, and her beautiful smile beside him.

As they began to eat, a door slammed somewhere in the house, and Tory suddenly felt weightless. He looked down to see he was floating, and then he took off. He tried to resist, but his body refused to move. Everyone followed him outside, where he landed at the hooves of Twilight and Rarity. Tory could almost feel the hate rolling off them in waves.

“So, you thought you could come back and not tell us,” Twilight said in a faux sweet tone. “I’m really hurt Tory, I thought we were friends.”

“As did I,” Tory countered, struggling to his hands and knees. “Until I heard you and Rarity telling Fluttershy that I had to leave.”

Everyone gasped at that news. Rarity looked like she would die on the spot, she looked so guilty. Twilight just kept her gaze on Tory.

“Don’t try to pin this on us,” she said. “Look, we know you’re a spy. Why else would you arrive very conveniently in our town a day after Equestria suffered a massive heat wave that nearly crippled us? We know you’re trying to sabotage us! That’s why you wormed your way into Fluttershy’s heart!”

“Now hold on an apple pickin’ second!” Applejack said, coming up to her other friends. “Tory ain’t no spy! If he was a spy, why would he act so nice to all of us, even Derpy? If he was a spy, all he’d have to do is ask Fluttershy about our weaknesses.”

“Looks like he managed to trick you too Applejack,” Twilight said. “We need to get you away from him before he completely turns you against us.”

“Easy girls,” Tory said, getting to his feet. “Let’s all go talk with Zecora. She can vouch for me!”

“How do we know you didn’t brainwash her too?!” Rarity retorted. Tory flinched under her stare. He recalled his dream again, and saw her as a gem once more, so beautiful, yet soulless. The pause was all she needed to validate herself. “You see? He can’t even stand up for himself!”

“Tory, you and I are going to take a little walk…All the way to Canterlot!” Twilight spat out the last part.

“Not without me you’re not!” Fluttershy said, coming over to join her love.

“No Fluttershy, you don’t have to go.” Tory said calmly. “If you stay here, you might be able to avoid trouble.”

“Oh how noble,” Rarity hissed. “Trying to leave his ‘lover’ behind so she doesn’t see him admit the truth! Such trash!”

“At least I’m willing to say something to someone’s face, unlike you two!” Tory retorted.

“Silence you spy!” Rarity spat. “Your kind are not wanted here! That means your little friends will be joining us.”

Without warning, Rarity picked up Cory and Grace with her magic. Twilight did the same with Tory, and everyone began the long trek to Canterlot. Not a single word was spoken the entire trip. By the time they reached the castle, the sun was standing high above them.

Everyone entered the castle in single profile. As they reached the throne room, two guards stopped the group. After explaining their reason for being here, they stepped aside to let them pass. One of them spit on Tory as he went by.

The room was larger than Tory remembered, but TV distorts everything, so he wasn’t surprised. Atop the throne, sat the majestic Celestia. Her hair waved gently, even though no breeze was present. Tory believed that was because her magic was so powerful, it basically radiated off her body, creating an energy surge around her. As everyone approached, they kneeled down respectively, even Grace, who didn’t really know about these things.

“Ah, Twilight Sparkle, my most hard working student,” Celestia said kindly. “What brings you here today?”

“Grave news Princess,” Twilight said. “We’ve discovered this spy, sent to sabotage us. Luckily we caught him before he completed his goal.”

“Are you sure he is a spy Twilight?” Celestia asked. “Do you know where he is from, or who sent him?”

“Well…We know he is from Earth, another world that we cannot see. Unfortunately, we are not sure who he works for.”

“Did you say another world?” Celestia asked, her voice getting more serious. She turned to Tory. “You there, what is your name, and what race are you?”

“My name is Tory Mills, your Highness,” he said. “I’m…I’m a human.”

“Then it is you!” she exclaimed.

“Princess?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, he is no spy!” Celestia said suddenly. “Zecora summoned him here from his, Earth.”

“Are…Are you sure?’ Rarity asked. Tory thought she had to be absolutely sure of his guiltiness if she was willing to openly challenge the Princess.

“I am sure.” She simply said. “Zecora came to me on the night of the Hellfire Wave, and told me of one from another world that would save us. Tory was it? Were you the one summoned by Zecora?”

Tory nodded, and began to explain how he arrived in Equestria again. Then he went beyond that and told her his entire story. The sun was halfway down the sky when he finished.

“That’s quite a story,” Celestia said. “And you never knew of the prophecy?”

“No I did not your Highness“ Tory said respectively.

“He will come on two, and save us all,” Celestia said, recalling Zecora’s words. “But he and she together will fall. Harmony will return forever more, but only at the cost of war”.

Everyone gasped at those words. Tory was perhaps the most araid of all of them. If the prophecy was indeed about him, then the ‘she’ must be Fluttershy. He let the second line run through his head. Any way he looked at it, that mean he and Fluttershy would die. Even fate itself seemed to not want them together!

“Tory,” Twilight said, looking upset. “I…apologize. I judged you too quickly. I let my paranoia get the best of me, and that made me a bad friend. When Fluttershy told me about your past, I thought it was just a lie so you could get closer to her. But now I see that it was the truth. I spurned you like your bad friends did. Can you forgive me?”

“And me?” Rarity asked beside her.

Tory looked from one pony to the other. His expression was unreadable, and both ponies feared they had gone too far. Finally, Tory let a smile break out on his face, and spoke happily to the two of them.

“Hey, we all make mistakes,” he said. “You two were just trying to protect the things you love. I can’t be angry about that. You’re forgiven.”

Twilight and Rarity sighed in relief, and everyone laughed. Celestia smiled at them, and let herself laugh as well. Tory looked around the room. When he had started his new life, he didn’t have a single person he could call a friend, now he had too many to count, and one of them he planned on marrying. Which reminded him…

“Hey Twilight,” Tory asked. “Any chance I could get everyone’s schedules?”

“What for?” Twilight curiously asked.

“Well, I think it’s time me and Fluttershy got married,” he told her.

This got everyone’s attention, even Celestia’s. Tory was acutely aware of the silence that gripped the room. Twilight was about to respond, when Princess Celestia stopped her and spoke instead.

“Tory, do you really wish to marry Fluttershy?” she asked. Tory nodded, he was never more sure of anything. “Then you may hold it here, in the castle. After everything I’ve heard, I can see no better solution than the best wedding for you two.”

Tory’s mouth dropped straight to the floor. Fluttershy gave a delightful cry, and flew over to him. She landed on top of him, knocking both of them to the ground. She began to kiss him rapidly, making everyone and everypony in the room laugh.

“Tory, I can’t believe it!” she cried out happily. “You and me, married! Oh Tory, I love you so much!”

“And I love you Fluttershy,” Tory said. “Nothing will ever change that.”

Tory looked out the window, and saw the sun had set. His time was up. Any second now, Discord would knock him out, and demand his answer. Yet nothing came to him. Tory wondered if Discord had been bluffing. Celestia noticed his worried look, and spoke out.

“Tory, what’s wrong,” she asked. “You look like the end of the world is here.”

“Princess,” Tory said. “I’ve been thinking. What if Discord is the one behind everything? Is it possible that he was the one that sent the Hellfire Wave?”

“I had that thought at one point,” Celestia admitted. “But once I checked the statue, I was reassured. Discord is sealed away tightly. But it couldn’t hurt to check again. Come with me.”

Everyone walked outside towards the maze, where Discord’s body was put on display (can anyone say issues much?). As they neared his statue, Tory felt his body grow hot. Each step made his eyes unfocus, and his breath come in shallow amounts. When he got within ten feet, Tory felt so weak, he fell to the ground. His body refused to move, and he waited for the cold embrace of Discord’s dream. Yet none came, and he didn’t pass out.

“Tory! Tory please, not yet!” Fluttershy cried. “Not again!”

Discord’s voice began to emanate from everywhere. His laughter chilled everyone to the bone. Tory felt his body begin to rise, and it glided over to the statue. The sky began to darken, and a cold wind blew in from everywhere.

“I really should thank you boy,” came the demon’s voice. “You‘ve been such a nice container. Just for that, I‘m going to let you live longer than the others.”

“Discord!” Celestia spat. “Where are you?!”

Tory’s body began to glow black, and he felt the life being sucked out of him. The energy that swirled around him began to flow into Discord’s statue. Fluttershy cried out for Tory, but he couldn’t move or speak. He looked into her eyes, and gave her a look that said ‘Run please! I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt!’ Fluttershy looked back at him, her expression showing one of conviction and she held her ground.

Discord’s statue cracked down the middle, and black beams of energy burst out. His laughter echoed around the clearing once more. An explosion formed behind Tory, and he felt a large claw grab hold of him.

“Hello Celestia, it‘s good to see you yet again." Discord smrked. "And you as well Twilight. You two haven‘t aged a bit. Oh, is that you Tory? I‘m glad you could make it on time. Now I get to meet you in person. Hahaha! So you‘re the human boy from another world, a weakling that was treated like shit? Honestly I can see why. Oh how ironic that you fell in love with the weakling of the Elements!”

“If you so much as lay a finger on her,” Tory threatened.

“That depends on you,” Discord said. “Now is the time to choose Tory. Will you join me, or side with them?”

“You really want to know what I’ve decided on?” Tory asked. “I’ve decided that I want to kick your ass again. You were never going to make me turn traitor to Equestria! I’ll die before then!”

“Oh don‘t worry boy, you will.” Discord said maliciously. “But for now, you get to sit there and watch me kill off your friends!”

“You release Tory now, you ruffian!” Rarity called out.

Discord lifted a finger lazily, and Rarity grew stiff. Tory knew what was happening. He called out to her, but she didn’t respond. Her eyes glazed over, and Rarity’s white body hegan to harden into diamond. Everyone gasped as she fell over, and Discord laughed.

“How‘s that for irony eh?” Discord joked. “She was always collecting and drooling over gems, and now she is one! HAHAHA!”

“You twisted bastard!” Tory shouted at him. “Turn her back!”

“Compliments will get you nowhere Tory, you should know that." the demon grinned, his tusk flashing. "And no, I think she‘s better like this. At least she‘s quiet now.”

Applejack charged at Discord, but he simply swatted her aside, as though she were a fly. He snapped his fingers, and miniature clones of him spawned around her. They began to relentlessly assault her. Then something forced them to stop.

Up in the sky, Luna descended upon the celaring with Pinkie on her back and Rainbow Dash at her heels. Luna’s horn lit up, and the clones dissipated. Pinkie jumped off her back, and went to check on Applejack.

“Luna, your timing could not have been more perfect.” Celestia said, welcoming her sister.

“But I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this reunion short sister,” Luna said. “Twilight, go now! You know what to do!”

“How dare you!” Rainbow shouted at the demon. “HOW DARE YOU HURT APPLEJACK!!!”

She charged at Discord, and managed to get a few good hits in. Then Discord managed to grab her, and a black aura appeared around Rainbow. He dropped her, and she began to turn to stone, just like in Tory’s dream. Discord snapped his fingers, and both Celestia and Luna lost their horns. They cried out, and were promptly silenced by Discord making a zipper appear around their mouths.

He snaped his fingers again, and more mini clones circled Pinkie and the injured Applejack. Tory knew what would happen next. He looked down at Fluttershy. Her eyes said everything.

“TORY!!!” She cried out.

“No Fluttershy!” he called out. “Please run away! He’ll kill you! I can’t bear to see you die!”

“I’d rather die than be apart from you!” she shouted.

“DON’T EVEN TOUCH HER YOU BASTARD!!!!” Tory shouted. He felt energy well up inside him. “I WILL DEAL EVERY OUNCE OF PAIN YOU GIVE HER A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!!!”

“Hardly the time to be making threats you can‘t go through with!” Discord said with a laugh.

Just as in his dream, Fluttershy flew upward against her will. The swords appeared once more, spinning again around her. They curbed downward, aimed to slice Fluttershy to ribbons.

“Tory please! Help me!” she cried out. The tears that fell down her face made Tory feel empty inside. His rage tipped over, and he struggled with a hidden well of strength. He broke free of Discord’s grasp, and ran along his arm.

Discord realized what happened too late, as Tory brought his foot into the demon’s face. He kicked off, and went straight up. Doing a front flip, Tory brought down his heel with as much force as he could muster. Discord went down, and Tory got to experience having a leg break from smashing it into something indestructible.

Fluttershy was released from the spell, and the swords vanished. As Tory hit the ground, she raced over to him. She lavished him in kisses, and he sat there, holding her. His worst nightmare had been avoided.

“How DARE you use my own magic against me!” Discord shouted, his voice full of hate.

“You’re magic?” Tory asked, confused. “But I can’t do magic.”

“Don’t play coy with me!” the demon said. “You just used Maker Magic to strengthen your attacks! I‘m the only being in Equestria that can use it!”

“Magic?” Tory whispered to himself, examining his hand. “Maker Magic? Does that mean I can create anything?”

Tory had a basic knowledge of magic, and knew that it was all in the mind. He concentrated a thought around his hand, and made a slashing motion. Sure enough, his hand flashed white, and a broad sword appeared. It was different this time though. Instead of a purely golden sword, only the blade was gold. The hilt and guard was pink, and Tory smiled.

“Okay then Discord!” Tory shouted, staring down the demon. “I’m going to kill you! Every second that you breathe is a plague on Equestria! Prepare to die!”

Tory charged at him, gripping his sword in both hands. Then a green portal appeared in front of him, and he leaped through. Discord felt something pierce his back, and cried out in pain. Tory had warped behind him and lanced his sword into his spine. Discord grabbed him, and wrenched him out. He hurled the teen across the clearing, but Tory made another portal, and came back beside Fluttershy.

Looking around, Tory realized that his friends had managed to pick themselves back up. They must have gotten their courage back after seeing him stand up to the demon. Tory willed his magic again, and Rainbow Dash returned to her original form. The diamond around Rarity melted, and she shook herself free from it.

Twilight had returned now, carrying a jewel encrusted blue box. He knew it contained the actual Elements of Harmony. He charged at Discord once more, hoping to buy them time. He super charged his legs, and jumped into the sky above. He raised his sword over his head, willed the dark storm clouds above to part, and release the sunlight upon them all. Discord hissed, but Tory was unfazed.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Tory said to himself, smiling. He crossed his index and middle fingers in a plus fashion, and cried out the familiar words. “KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!”

The sky was covered in a thin smoke, and there was suddenly a hundred copies of Tory. Each one of them fell upon Discord, letting their swords tear him to shreds. The demon swatted each of them away, dispelling them. Tory didn’t mind though, he was enjoying this. He made more clones, but this time Discord would get a nasty surprise.

Each clone attacked the demon, letting the rage of the original Tory shine through. Discord managed to destroy a few of them, but others his hand just fazed right through them. Tory remembered reading a story where Naruto had made illusion clones spawn with his real ones. The illusions couldn’t hurt Discord, but they could slow him down, and tire him out faster, while Tory pressed for more time.

Tory remembered an old anime he watched a long time ago called Buso Renkin, and the weapons they used on that show. Tory willed his magic to form a silver trench coat around him. It was the weapon of a minor character in that show, but it had a nice effect. He let his body fall to the ground, and charged at the demon.

Discord tried to slash at Tory, but the coat stopped the attack instantly. Tory didn’t even budge. He raised his sword again, and slashed Discord’s arm off. The demon cried out in pain, and stepped back. His eyes grew blood red, and raced towards the boy again. Tory simply dodged left, and kicked at Discord, sending him into the dirt.

Looking over at his friends, he saw that they had almost finished charging their magic to seal away Discord. Discord saw this as well, and rushed at them. Tory put his spirit into his next spell, and made a giant golden shield with a pink heart in the center block the demon’s path. Discord tried to get around it, but Tory made another appear, and another. Soon a complete circle of shields surrounded his friends, preventing Discord from getting to them.

“Face it Discord!” Tory shouted to his opponent. “You’ve lost! In a few seconds the spell will be ready, and you’ll be a statue again!”

“Not if MY magic has anything to say about it!” Discord said.

Before Tory could react, a massive sword appeared over Fluttershy’s head. She didn’t notice it though, as she was focusing the magic needed to defeat Discord. Tory cried out for her to move, but she didn’t hear him. The sword came down upon her, and Tory shut his eyes. When he didn’t hear Fluttershy’s cry again, he opened them to see Cory had pushed her out of the sword’s path. It stuck harmlessly into the ground, and dissolved.

Tory sighed in relief, sending a silent thanks to his friend for his selfless action. He turned back to Discord, and let his rage spill over once more. Tory charged at him again, shedding the silver coat as he ran. The thing protected him, but it was exceedingly heavy. He opened a portal in front of him, and about ten that surrounded Discord. He jumped through his, and reappeared in front of the demon. Tory brought his sword down on Discord once more, and it tore through his body, all the way down to his tail.

Letting out a terrifying screech, Discord fell to the ground. He didn’t move, he didn’t breathe. Tory flicked the blood off his sword, and stabbed it into the ground. Everything in the clearing was quiet once more. Tory looked back at his friends. They smiled at him, and he dashed over.

Fluttershy ran to him, and they embraced each other lovingly. She kissed him repeatedly, and he just held her, glad that it was done. Discord was dead, and nothing had managed to hurt Fluttershy. Everyone else came over more slowly, and cheered for Tory.

“Did I really see all of that?!” Cory asked, incredulous. “Did you just use magic, and kill Discord?!”

“Yeah,” Tory said, smiling. “I didn’t realize I could do magic though. I guess it just took the right time to reveal itself.”

“Actually, it’s not your magic,” Luna said beside him. “Discord has been using you from the very beginning, storing his magic power inside of your body. The spell that sealed him in stone also made his magic leak from his body constantly. It was a failsafe designed to make sure the target couldn’t escape. When Discord found you, he made his magic pour into you, and your body acted as a sponge, absorbing all of the energy.”

“So that’s how he managed to break free,” Twilight said. “When you got close enough to him, he pulled out the collected power, and used it to free himself from his bonds.”

“Correct Twilight,” Celestia replied, praising her student. “It seems that there was an excess amount of energy though, and Tory’s body adapted it so he could use it. The end result being Tory able to cast Discord’s magic.”

“That’s amazing!” Grace said beside Macintosh. The two had been helping Pinkie carry Applejack over. The orange pony groaned weakly, and Tory felt bad.

“Celestia, can Maker Magic heal wounds?” he asked the alicorn.

“Possibly,” she replied. “But I imagine it can only repair shallow wounds and mend bones. Nothing truly powerful.”

“That’s all I need,” Tory said getting down beside Applejack. “Come on Applejack, you can’t die on us. You’re like our big sister! Where would we be without you?”

“In a whole heap o’ trouble,” the orange pony said weakly. “Who else…is gonna keep the ponies from fightin’ with each other?”

This made everyone laugh, and Tory began to try his magic. His guess was that Applejack had broken bones, and bruised organs, so he focused on those first. Sure enough, when he began to work, Applejack began to recover her old energy. She didn’t move though, she waited until Tory finished. He stepped back, and let her get to her hooves.

“Well don’t that just buck your apples!” she said, testing her legs by kicking out behind her. “I feel good as new!”

Everyone smiled as Applejack stretched. Everyone was fine, and the crisis had been averted. But no one noticed the bit of movement that came from Discord. He saw the sword that pierced the ground beside him, and forced his magic to grab it. It hovered unsteadily above him, and aimed the blade at it’s owner. It raced towards him with lightning speed.

Fluttershy had turned to look at Tory. She was happier than ever. Discord was defeated, and she was going to marry Tory. She flew up and kissed him gently. Out of the corner of her eye though, she saw the golden blade rise into the air.

As it charged at Tory, Fluttershy instinctively pushed him out of the way. The action forced her into his spot though, and the sword pierced her. Everyone gasped as they saw it happen. But the most pain was felt by Tory.

“FLUTTERSHY!!!” he cried.

“I warned you Tory!” Discord spat at him, his body dissolving “I told you I would kill her! You have only yourself to blame for her fate!”

Discord vanished into nothingness, leaving only specks of his blood in the clearing. His laughter reverberated around everyone, and sent shivers down their spines. Then he spoke softly, and maliciously. His words gripped them like ice.

“You think you’ve won, but this is only the beginning! You haven’t seen the last of me! I’ll be back, and I’ll kill all of you!”

Tory was oblivious to Discord’s warning. He quickly wrenched the sword out of Fluttershy. Knowing that he had to stem the blood flow, and ripped his shirt off, pressing it onto the wound. He looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, and saw all of his fear.

“I-It’s going to be okay,” Tory said, trying to reassure himself as well as Fluttershy. “We’re not going to let this stop us!”

“Tory…stop,” Fluttershy said weakly. “You don’t…really mean that.”

“But I can’t live without you!” Tory cried, the tears rolling down his face. “We…we were going to be married! We were going to settle down, start a family! Fluttershy, you mean everything to me!”

“I know,” she said, her voice cracking. “But it’s too late.”

“Celestia!” Tory shouted. “Please, peform the ceremony! She deserves this!”

The alicorn stepped forward, her expression unreadable. Tory knew he had to be strong, for Fluttershy’s sake. Celestia began the speech, her voice cracking with each word. As they neared the end, Tory could see the light leaving Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Tory,” Celestia said, her eyes brimming with tears now. “Do you promise to stay by Fluttershy’s side, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall…live?”

‘I do!” Tory said, his tears flowing unbound. He chocked up when Celestia said the last word. “With all of my heart and soul!”

“And Fluttershy,” Celestia said, stopping herself from crying. “Do you promise to stay by Tory’s side, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Fluttershy said weakly. Then she turned to Tory, her eyes holding a single spark of life left. Tory knew she had only a few minutes more. “With all of my heart and soul.”

“Then I now pronounce you man and wife.” Celestia said, finally breaking. “Tory, you may kiss the bride!”

Tory enveloped Fluttershy, and gave her the most passionate kiss he could. Everyone cried. Not in joy, but in pure uncontained sadness. As they broke the kiss, Fluttershy smiled at her new husband. Tory forced himself to smile too.

“Tory,” Fluttershy said, her voice almost inaudible. “Can you sing me that song? Just one more time?”

“Sure Fluttershy,” he said, biting back the emotion that caught in his throat. He breathed in deeply, and began to sing. He spoke softly, just barely loud enough for everyone to hear.

“The sun will rise,, and the sun will set.
But I’ll always be here, on that you can bet.
I know you’re so pure, so kind and so strong.
As I look at you now, I know that you can do no wrong.”

“I can’t say good-bye! I can’t go away!
I want to stay with you here, all night and all day!
Your soft gentle simle, it warms me to my core!
Oh how I love you today, for now and evermore!”

“Your sweet pink mane, your lush blue eyes!
You’re the love of my life, and for you I would die!
You’ve been at my side, through the good and the bad!
You’re the only true friend that I have ever had!”

“You‘ve given me hope, and kept by my side.
You‘re the only pony, in which I can confide.
Every time I‘m with you, and I look at your face,
I see all of your love, and my heart begins to race!”

“As the sun begins to set, and brings an end to our day,
I look into your eyes, and find I can‘t turn away.
You kissed me just once, and it made my heart melt.
And I realized right then, it was the best I ever felt!”

This tore at Tory’s heart so badly. He knew he couldn’t live without Fluttershy. As he finished the chorus, he chocked up. Tory couldn’t bear to say the next verse. He looked at Fluttershy, and knew he had no choice. He wanted her to be happy, even in death. As he sang out the lines, his sobs catching him, everyone just broke down.

“Without you I feel, so incomplete!
I can only be happy when you are with me!
My one true love…I know that you are!
With you ar my side, the limits are the stars!”

“…Your sweet pink mane, your lush blue eyes!
…You’re the love of my life, AND FOR YOU I WOULD DIE!
You’ve graced me so much, with all of your love!
My heart beats with yours, like the wings of a dove!”

“…The sun will rise…and ths sun will set.
But I’ll always be here…on that you can bet.
Your soft gentle smile, it warms me to my core.
…Oh how I love you today…for now…and evermore.”

“Tory,” Fluttershy whispered with the last of her energy. “I’m glad that I spent this day…my one life…with you. I wouldn’t have had it…any other way”

“Niether would I Fluttershy,” Tory cried, kissing her one more time. “I love you…so much!”

Tory watched the last spark leave Fluttershy’s eyes. He felt her body go limp in his hands, and knew she had left him. He cried out her name to the heavens, begging her to come back. Tory couldn’t even hold his head up anymore, and he fell to his side. He stared at Fluttershy’s empty eyes, and saw nothing. He lightly brushed his hand down her face, closing them.

“FLUTTERSHY!!!” Tory shouted to the heavens. “PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!! I NEED YOU!!!

Rainbow Dash came up to him, and rested a hoof on his shoulder. He didn’t even acknowledge that she was there. Rainbow curled up beside him, and spoke so softly. She tried to soothe Tory’s pain, but she knew they were just empty words.

“Tory please,” Rainbow said. “It’s over. Fluttershy sacrificed herself to save you. You need to pull yourself together.”

“IT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME!!!” Tory cried. “I WAS THE ONE THAT SWORE TO DIE PROTECTING HER, NOT FLUTTERSHY!!! HOW CAN I EXIST WITH OUT HER?!!”

He got up and turned to Celestia, his eyes pleading for something. She knew what he was about to ask. It hurt her so much to hear it.

“Celestia please,” Tory begged. “There must be some kind of spell that can bring her back! I don’t care what I have to do, just tell me!”

“I’m sorry Tory, there isn’t a spell like that.” Celestia said, shaking her head.

“DAMN YOU ALL!!!” Tory shouted. “DISCORD!!!! I DON’T CARE HOW LONG IT TAKES, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN TO THE ENDS OF EQUESTRIA AND KILL YOU!!!”

Tory turned around, and picked up the sword. Fluttershy’s blood still covered the blade, and it dripped down the hilt onto his hand. Tory ripped a part of his pants off, and wiped the blood away. He took the scrap, and tied it to his arm, as a way of keeping Fluttershy with him always.

Tory turned away from his friends, and ran out of the clearing. Grace was about to follow him, but Cory caught her arm, his look saying ‘he needs to be alone right now.’ They all watched as he rounded a corner, and lost sight of him.

The funeral for Fluttershy was held the next day. All of Equestria was in attendance. All, save for one human boy…

Author's Note

This is, without a doubt, the worst chapter I have ever written. I found myself crying with every line after Fluttershy was pierced. I hope I never write another chapter like this again! I’m sorry to all of the loyal Fluttershy fans that read this! I know you guys feel my pain too! And I’m sorry it’s so short! I just couldn’t keep going after all that…

Oh, and regarding the song there, I claim copyrights to that. I am the writer, and if you wish to find a copy of it, simply wait and I'll have it posted online soon...

Trials

‘Trials’

Rainbow Dash stopped at the large door of the Everfree castle. It had taken her all morning to reach the place, but she was finally there. She pushed the doors open, and walked in. Just as before, the castle was empty and in ruins. Dusty tapestries hung from the walls, and the air tasted stale. Rainbow coughed as her lungs adjusted to the change.

Now that she was here, Rainbow wasn’t sure where to go. She knew that she was looking for a secret passageway, or a convenient door, but that was it. Using her brains, Rainbow thought out this dilemma. It’s a secret room or series of rooms where one can escape to. That means it had to be large. Since every inch of the castle above ground was accessible, that meant it reached below her. The most logical place to start would be the cellar. And it if was a secret, that meant it had to be in plain sight. All the best kept secrets were!

Sure enough, Rainbow found the passage hidden behind a large vat of apple cider. She had opened the lid, after wanting a drink, and nothing came out. It had peaked her interest, so she yanked it free. A dark tunnel went way past where the container was supposed to end. As Rainbow followed the path, she felt the air become more damp. Finally after a minute of walking, she saw a dim light ahead of her. She trotted forward, and stepped into a large room.

It was completely bare inside, save for the two large doors that stood at the other end of the room. They stretched higher than ten ponies, and were adorned with many archaic symbols. Rainbow stepped up to them, and observed the most obvious of the details. It was a large heart that surrounded most of the doors. It showed four different images, each taking up a quarter of the heart. The top left showed a pony with what looked like waves leaving its head. The top right showed another heart, but this one was cracked down the middle. The bottom left had a gem being held by two ponies, and the final image had a pony standing atop another.

Rainbow Dash though about what they might mean. Were these the trials that would await her? She shivered, wondering just what they meant. Steeling her nerves, Rainbow walked up to the doors, and placed a hoof on them. She was about to push them open when a loud, deep voice emanated from everywhere.

“Hello there small pegasus, why have you come here? Surely you are not here to enter the Cloister?”

“Yeah, I am.” Rainbow said back. “What of it?”

“You are but a lone pony,” the voice said. “To enter you need a partner.”

“I can’t do that!” she called. “I’m here because my…partner…is in trouble! Please, let me in! He needs her…”

“Just what do you mean small one? Explain yourself.”

Reluctantly, Rainbow sat down, and told the voice her reason for being here. It never spoke a word while she talked, just listened quietly. She told it how Fluttershy died, how Tory had been so miserable, how Rainbow had fallen in love with him, and why she wanted to bring Fluttershy back. After she finished, the voice spoke calmly.

“So you believe that this boy will not be happy with you? Your only reason for being here is to bring his lost loved one back and restore him to his former self?”

“I know that Tory loves me, but he deserves to be with Fluttershy!” Rainbow said defensively. “If I can make him happy, even at the cost of my love, than I’m willing to make that sacrifice!”

“Your intentions are noble, no doubt.” the voice replied. “But I still cannot let you pass. The trials can only be done by two. If I could, I‘d let you through, but I‘m bound by my former masters. Unless they were to specify otherwise, I cannot release the magics that bind these doors closed.”

“…I understand,” Rainbow said, lowering her head. “Maybe one day, I can convince him to join me.”

“For what it’s worth, he’s lucky to have you! Anyone so willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of one pony is deserving in my book.”

“He isn’t a pony,” Rainbow told the voice. “He’s a human. And his first love sacrificed her life to save him. If anyone is so deserving, it was her.”

“Not even a pony, and yet you love him so! Such devotion…Maybe I can make this one exception. You’ve touched my stone cold heart, so I will let you through. Rainbow Dash, I wish you the best of luck in there. The trials you face will test just how strong your love really is.”

The voice faded away, and the doors began to open. A bright light erupted from the crack, which gradually began to fade as Rainbow’s eyes adjusted. She stepped through the doors, and they closed behind her. If she had wanted to back out, it was too late now. Rainbow was in the Cloister of Love now, and she had a mission to complete…

I.I.I

“What the hell could she be thinking?!” Tory asked himself as he flew over the Everfree forest. “I can’t let her go through with this! I have to hurry!”

After telling Cory about Rainbow Dash’s disappearance, Tory had gone to Applejack to see if she had any idea where the blue pegasus had gone. The earth pony said that Rainbow had tried to get everyone to go to the ruins after he left. When he heard this, Tory knew she had gone there, even though she was alone.

He’d dashed off towards the forest, collecting speed so he could fly faster. He was now flying over the forest, racing towards the Everfree castle. It loomed over the forest, casting a large shadow.Tory pushed himself harder, willing his magic to make him go faster. Yet even then, it had taken him an hour to reach the ancient ruins.

As he landed at the door, Tory noticed a set of hoof prints on the ground. They were the only set there, and looked somewhat fresh. That meant Rainbow had been here only recently. Tory followed the trail into the cellar, and through an empty vat. He dashed down the dark tunnel, praying that she hadn’t managed to get into the Cloister. His prayers were for naught though, when he saw the large room was void of any life. He walked up to the doors, and inspected the design.

“By Celestia, she managed to get in!” Tory exclaimed. “Oh Rainbow, why couldn’t you just accept that you’re the one for me now?”

“You there! You speak of Rainbow Dash as though you are close to her!” came a loud voice. Tory jumped when he heard it. “Might you be Tory?”

“I-Indeed I am!” Tory stammered. “Did Rainbow get inside?”

“She did,” the voice responded. “You’re lucky to have her. There aren’t many who would go so far just to make one happy.”

‘I know,” Tory said. “That’s why I have to get her back! I can’t let her go through with this! Please, let me in!”

“…Never forget how much she loves you,” the voice said, starting to fade away. “Give her the same love she showed towards you, and the two of you might make it to the end.”

“I don’t want to bring Fluttershy back!” Tory shouted. “I just want to be with Rainbow Dash! If I have to get over Fluttershy to make this work, then I will. Not even the gift of Fluttershy’s smile returning to me would make me happy if I have to hurt Rainbow!”

The voice did not respond, but the doors opened for him. Tory dashed through without hesitation. As he entered the next room, he saw a figure near the other door. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized Rainbow’s form. She hadn’t gotten past the first trail!

“Rainbow! Rainbow!” Tory called as he ran over to her.

“T-Tory? No, you can’t be here!” Rainbow said, surprised. “Go back!”

“Not without you.” Tory replied, stopping beside her. “Please Rainbow, come back with me. I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Then you know I can’t leave without bringing her back!”

“Why Rainbow? Please, tell me.” Tory asked quietly. “Do you know what could happen if Fluttershy comes back?”

“Yeah, but I don’t care!” Rainbow said, tears streaming down her eyes. “You should be with the pony YOU want to be with, not the second best! If I have to put my feelings aside so you can be happy, then I will!”

“Is that what you think?” Tory said, a hint of anger in his eyes. It wasn’t directed at her, just at what she said. “How could I ever think of you as second best? Rainbow, I love you just as much as Fluttershy! You both are equally important to me! The only difference is that you’re here with me…Fluttershy isn’t anymore. If I have to give her up to be with you…then I will!!”

“You don’t mean that!” Rainbow cried. “You wouldn’t give up Fluttershy! She was your world!”

“Yeah,” Tory admitted. “Keyword: was. Rainbow, I only came to accept Fluttershy’s death after seeing her beside me, but I couldn’t love her. She was gone, and I knew that. But you’re here, with me. Right now, YOU’RE my world. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work…C‘mon, let‘s go back.”

Tory turned to leave, but when he heard Rainbow not following him, he turned back. His eyes were begging for her to come with him, but she knew that if she left with him now, she’d never be able to forgive herself. Rainbow sat down on the floor, her expression reading ‘I’m not leaving! I HAVE to do this!’

“You’re not leaving are you?” Tory asked with a sigh. He shook his head in defeat when Rainbow nodded. “Then I guess you’re stuck with me until then. I’m not letting you go alone! I’d have to be brain dead to abandon you.”

“Thanks Tory,” Rainbow said. “I just have to do this. I’ll never feel good about myself if I don’t try.”

“I understand,” Tory replied with a kind smile. “I’ll help you in any way I ca-“

Tory stopped mid-sentence, collapsing on the ground again. His breath came in shallow amounts, and the room began to spin around him. He felt his strength leave him, and his arms gave away. Tory was aware of Rainbow crying out for him. Tory told her not to worry, or at least he thought he did. His hearing was completely gone, and his vision was dimming.

A large shock arched through his body, making him scream in pain. It felt like someone had thrown a toaster at him while he was in the shower! The pain was so intense, Tory was amazed he didn’t pass out. His skin felt like it was burning off, and his insides felt like they were on fire. He writhed around on the cold floor, praying that the pain would stop soon. ..

I.I.I

Rainbow wasn’t sure what to do. Tory just collapsed on the floor and started screaming in pain. She rushed over to him, and tried to help him, but it seemed he was in so much pain that he couldn’t do anything! Tears started streaming out of her eyes, and she layed down beside him.

Rainbow knew she couldn’t do anything to help Tory, but she could stay by his side, and hopefully give him strength to fight back. She put her head down on his chest, and wrapped her hooves around his arm. Tory’s screaming began to ebb away, and soon he became quiet. His ragged breathing was the only sound in the room.

Rainbow looked into his eyes, and saw how glazed they were. Tory began to weakly stroke her hair, his hand trembling with each gentle movement. He spoke so softly, that Rainbow had barely heard what he said.

“T-This…is nothing…compared…to losing you.” Tory whispered. “I refuse…to give in…to the pain…I…won’t…lose you too..”

“Tory please,” Rainbow begged. “Save your strength! If you put any more stress on your body, you’ll kill yourself!”

“And leave you?” Tory asked weakly. “It’ll take…a lot more…than this!”

Tory let his head rest on the ground. He tried to even out his breaths, but it just made him sound worse. Rainbow got off of him, and moved over beside his head. She curled up next to him, her head beside his. She kissed him gently, keeping him close to her. She wasn’t going to give him up, not yet.

“W-Water,” Tory whispered. “Rainbow…I think I hear water.”

Rainbow perked up her ears, and listened. Sure enough, a trickle of water could be heard from the other side of the room. She got up slowly, and trotted over to the sound. She looked at the small puddle that formed beside the meager stream. It was green and didn’t look at that healthy. She carefully lapped up a few drops, and cringed at the sour taste. She waited for a few seconds, to see if it would have any adverse effects on her, but nothing happened.

Rainbow Dash stretched out a wing, and carefully scooped up some of the water. She slowly made her way back to Tory, and lifted his head up so he could drink.

“It’s going to be a little sour,” Rainbow warned. “But it’s perfectly fine to drink.”

She angled her wing so that Tory could sip the liquid as it ran down. He drank it in silence, not even making a face when the water passed his lips. After he finished, Rainbow got behind him and picked his head up gently. She layed down, and put his head on her side. She curled up slightly, so she could face him.

Tory turned his head towards her, and she kissed him. It was a short kiss, but it was enough to make Tory smile. His eyes filled with a warmth Rainbow had not seen from him before. It lasted for only a second, but that was long enough for Rainbow to figure out what it was. Tory was truly happy. He was in pain, but he was happy.

Despite the fact that she had gone against his wishes, that she had almost driven herself away from him by bringing Fluttershy back, Tory still loved her. He was content being with her, and no pony else! It made her cry, and she looked away so Tory wouldn’t see.

They stayed this way for what felt like hours. It was impossible to tell just how long they stayed there, since the room was underground and no light was filtered in. The only light came from the glowing stones that were embedded inside the walls.

Finally, Rainbow heard the gentle breathing of Tory in his sleep. She looked down at him, her eyes full of compassion and love. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, and soon fell asleep to the soft, repetitive sound. Before she fell asleep, she heard one thing come from Tory. It was a simple sentence, he must have been dreaming vividly for him to say it aloud.

“I do, with all of my heart and soul,” Tory whispered. “I do love you. Rainbow Dash…Will you marry me?”

The blue pegasus blushed deeply. To feel that strongly for her, even though they had not even been together for three days, showed just how much he cared for her. She leaned down to his ear, and whispered softly.

“I will Tory,” Rainbow said, kissing him lightly. “Because I love you too, with all of my heart and soul…”

I.I.I

When she awoke, Rainbow was vaguely aware of how quiet it was. Normally this early in the morning, the other pegasi would be loudly going about their business, doing their daily chores. She opened her eyes to find that the skies were dark and cloudy. But a thunderstorm wasn’t scheduled to happen today!

Then the memories hit her. Rainbow wasn’t in Cloudsdale, she was in the Cloister of Love. She looked down to see Tory wasn’t laying down beside her. Getting up, Rainbow looked around hastily for him. She turned towards the door that barred their passage forward. He was standing there, looking at the archaic symbols.

“Tory,” Rainbow said, coming up beside him. “What are you doing up? You should be resting still.”

“…I’ve seen these symbols before,” Tory muttered, completely disregarding her question. “Its…Its German!”

“German?” Rainbow asked. “What’s that?”

“Think of it like a second language,” Tory explained. “Or like a completely different culture. German humans have their own language, their own designs and concepts, anything to make them an individual nation. I studied some of their language a few years back. You see those symbols there, they mean ‘deceit’, and those over there mean ‘trial’. Rainbow, this first trial is to trick us.”

“How do we get past it then?” she asked.

“You see that string of symbols there?” Tory asked her, pointing to a set that arched over the top of the door. “It’s a riddle. It says, ‘To continue along, look on with your brain, not your eyes.. The answer is ahead, you have only to try.’ I’ve spent many years solving riddles. If I’ve learned one thing, the answer is always in plain sight. Come here by the door.”

Tory stepped up to it, and rested his hands on the marble. Rainbow mimicked him, and understood what he was thinking. He signaled once, twice, three times, and they pushed on the door. It budged slowly, moving more easy as they progressed. They shoved it all the way open, and stepped into the next room.

Rainbow winced as sunlight hit her face. Being in the dim room for so long had made her eyes weak, and they had to adjust to the light once more. This room was very different from the last. The walls of this room were mirrors instead of rock, and a single hole in the ceiling sent a beam of light from one mirror to the next. On the floor, which sloped upward from the center, was a pedestal that held a small figurine.

The pedastal was very detailed, and extremely intricate. It held a wavy design that spiraled around the stand, and went all the way to the top. At certain intervals though, the waves branched off, giving the pedastal an eerie look. The figurine showed two ponies, both turned away from each other.

Tory and Rainbow walked up to the figurine, and inspected them closely. Tory let out a small sigh, and Rainbow turned to him. His eyes were deep in thought, and he began to fiddle around with the hilt of his daggers. She looked back at the object, and saw what he was staring at. More of the…German language…was surrounding the figurine in a perfect circle.

“Hmmm, this one is going to be difficult.“ Tory said to no one in particular. “I don’t know most of these words. I can puzzle out a few here and there, but that’s it. That one reads ‘bad’ and this one here reads ‘love’…But this one here, this one confuses me. I’ve seen that word before in my class. I can’t remember this one though!”

“I’m sure it’ll come to you soon. “Rainbow said confidently. “You’ve never let anything get past you, and you won’t now. Let’s look around, maybe we’ll find more symbols that you do know.”

Tory and Rainbow covered every inch of the room for other signs of writing, but they found nothing. Coming back to the pedastal, Rainbow sat down. Tory adopted a thinking pose, making him look funny in her opinion. She didn’t laugh though, as he looked really upset. To laugh now would be hurtful, and she wouldn’t do that to Tory.

“This is going to drive me crazy,” Tory said after a few minutes. “I know that word. I KNOW it! I just can’t think of it’s translation right now.”

“Maybe if you run a list of the words you can recall through your head, it could jog your memory?” Rainbow suggested.

“That’s pretty smart!” Tory said, picking up Rainbow. He kissed her on the cheek, and she blushed. “I didn’t know you were that intelligent!”

“Maybe after all of this is over, you can find out some other things you didn’t know about me?” Rainbow teased. Tory’s face turned red, and he looked away. She laughed gently, and flew up to give him a hug. “I’m glad to be with you Tory, even if it is only for a short while.”

He didn’t respond, he just turned his head away. Rainbow knew she had said the wrong thing. She had reminded him that if they succeeded, he’d have to choose between Rainbow and Fluttershy. That thought upset her, and she shook it out of her head. She would face that problem when she came to it.

Releasing Tory, Rainbow flew over to the pedastal. She did a few circles, looking for anything odd. Well, anything that would seem out of place in a completely random room. The only thing she could notice was that the figurines were removable. She reached out a hoof, but retracted it quickly. Rainbow was wondering if it could be a trap.

“Tory, I’m wondering,” Rainbow started. “You said the words you could figure out were ‘bad’ and ‘love’ right?” She continued when he nodded. “What if it means we have to resolve any love issues we find in the room? Look closely at the base of the figures. See how they look like they can be moved? What if we were to turn them towards each other?”

“That could work,” Tory agreed with a nod. “It’s worth a shot.”

He reached over and turned one towards the center, while Rainbow did the same for the other. The moment the figures reached a certain point in the turn, they clicked into place, and slid into the pedastal. Tory smiled at Rainbow, and she smiled back.

Then the ground began to shake, and it threw Tory off balance. As he hit the hard stone, he banged his head on a mirror, causing it to fall back into another. This started a chain reaction where every mirror fell until the last one crashed to the ground and shattered into many small glass shards.

As the sound of breaking glass echoed around the room, the pedastal collapsed inward, and fell through the ground. Rainbow Dash looked down at where it vanished to see a pool of lava in the hole. It started to flow upward, slowly coming out of the opening and forming a perfect circle. It slowed it’s pace as it found more room to occupy. Rainbow saw Tory backing up to the wall, which had shattered glass on it. She saw him touch it, and his eyes widen.

Tory had accidentaly let a large piece of glass catch him in the back, and he was now stuck. If he moved, it would send a shock throughout his body, forcing him onto the ground and making him easy prey for the lava. He stood there, completely rigid. Rainbow flew over to him as quick as she could.

“Listen Rainbow,” Tory said, a hint of panic in his voice. “I can’t move, but you still can. You’ve got to get out of here. Fly up to that hole in the ceiling, and escape. I don’t want you to die.”

“As if!” she shouted. “I’m not gonna leave you to die!”

Rainbow looked behind Tory to see how bad it was. The shard he had lodged in his back was pretty large. If she was careful, she could break off the back of it, allowing Tory to take care of it later. Rainbow leaned down to it, and looked for a crack or something that could make the piece break sooner. Sure enough, there was a large one near the base of the mirror. She gave it a well aimed jab, and the piece broke off.

Tory came forward suddenly, able to move freely again. He stumbled really close to the lava, and Rainbow caught him by his shirt to prevent him from falling in. He gave her one of the most grateful smiles he could muster, and she pulled him back.

The lava was now half way up the sloped floor. Tory and Rainbow made their way over to the advancing door as quick as they could. Placing their backs to it, Tory looked at Rainbow, and she looked at him.

“Please Rainbow Dash,” Tory begged. “You can still escape! Fly out of here, forget about me! The hole is only large enough for you to get through! I’m too large!”

“I don’t care!” Rainbow shouted, tears in her eyes. “I refuse to leave you! If you die, then so will I! I love you too much Tory!”

Both of them heard a click behind them, and they fell backwards. As they looked up, they saw the door had opened. Had it been unlocked this entire time?! Quickly getting up, Tory and Rainbow pushed the door closed. They were just in time too, for the lava had reached where they’d been standing not even ten seconds ago.

“By Celestia,” Rainbow huffed. “That was close!”

“Yeah,” Tory agreed. “Lucky the door opened when it did. Which begs the question…Was that door unlocked the whole damn time?!”

“I don’t think so,” Rainbow replied calmly. “Remember how it clicked and then we fell into here? I think it was waiting for a key phrase or something.”

“Hmmm,” Tory said, letting his mind wander. “It only opened after you said you loved me too much to let me die alone…It responded to your love, and the loyalty you showed towards us…Loyalty! That’s it! Rainbow, the word I couldn’t figure out, it was ‘loyalty’! That was a trial to see how much we would do for the other!”

“So when I said I’d die with you…” Rainbow started.

“And when I begged you to leave me behind,” Tory continued. “The door understood how much we felt for each other, and let us through.”

Rainbow hugged him tightly, glad to be able to stay with him longer. She knew she might have to give him up, but she could cherish every moment with him until then. The two broke the hug, and turned around to investigate the next room they would have to conquer.

It was a simple room, much like the first was. The walls were made of stone, and had glowing shards embedded in them. There was no shaft of light coming in through the ceiling. But instead of an empty room, there was a pedastal sitting in the center again. This time, it held a large diamond. The duo walked over to it, and investigated the words around it.

“I can sort of read this one,” Tory said. “If what you want is the key, deny the…and let it be. Your…will consume you and your partner too. That’s strange. I can read most of the words, but those two here and here I can’t. This second one almost looks familiar, but I’m not sure…”

“Let’s try to figure this one out before we try anything,” Rainbow suggested. She didn’t want to risk the chance of killing Tory again. He was badly enough injured by the glass in his back…Which reminded her…

“Tory, this is going to hurt,” she warned. “But whatever you do, don’t move.”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting a-aahhhhhht!” Tory cried out, as Rainbow yanked the glass shard from his back. The wound didn’t look serious, but it seemed bad enough to warrant a break.

“Ow, that stings!” Tory cursed. “Rainbow, can you give me a little more warning next time?”

“But if you had braced for it, the pain would’ve been more intense.” Rainbow said. “Besides, you can just heal the wound right, like you did with Applejack?”

“True,” Tory agreed, letting his body collapse on the floor, chest first. He reached behind him, trying to find out where to place his hands. “Hey Rainbow, can you guide my arms? I can’t see back there, so I don’t know where to focus my attention.”

The blue pegasus put her hooves on Tory’s soft hands, and he began to apply his magic. She guided him as he brushed them across the gash. It took only a minute for the magic to completely restore him to his former state. As he sat up, Tory gave Rainbow a kiss. She returned it, and rested her head on his lap.

“Maybe we should stop for the day?” Rainbow suggested.

“…Not for the day, but we can take a good long break.” Tory replied. “I think you’ve earned it after what we just went through.”

They curled up together, letting their bodies keep each other warm. Rainbow heard Tory’s breathing even out, and knew he was asleep. She listened for a few seconds, before her eyes grew heavy. The two of them hadn’t done much today, but the shock of almost dying again was enough to drain any pony or person of their energy. She let the exhaustion claim her, and slept peacefully…

I.I.I

Back in Ponyville, the rest of the group and Celestia were considering their options. With both Tory and Rainbow Dash gone, their current power was cut in half at least. Even Celestia knew how strong Tory was, if he could go against Discord the way he did. And Rainbow was fast. So fast that she could never get hit, making her all the more capable as she could always land her attacks.

As it stood right now, they were sitting ducks for Discord to pick them off. It would take just a snap of the fingers, and he could obliterate them. Why he hadn’t already was anypony’s guess! But since she had been here, Celestia had noticed a strong energy cloaking the town. It was familiar, but at the same time different. She couldn’t place it though.

“Well ponies, and Cory,” Twilight started, acknowledging her close friend. “We know that Tory and Rainbow are in the Cloister of Love now, and that Discord could kill us at any second. Do we have any way to defend ourselves?”

“We might not need to,” Rarity said, speaking up. “I’ve been feeling this strong presence around town. It came up shortly after we got back, so I think it’s good.”

“But are you entirely sure?” Twilight asked her. “I don’t want to be unprepared for a fight if I can help it.”

“Maybe we should git the other ponies together,” Applejack started. “An’ see if we can make some gear to stop Discord if he tries to beat us. Just in case.”

“That sounds like a good first step,” Twilight said with a nod. “I’ll put you and Rarity in charge of that. She can focus on armor, and you can get the weapons ready. Pinkie, you and your family get together with Applejack’s and start making food rations. We need to be able to eat, and someone has to prepare the food. But no sweets! That’ll just make the situation worse. Too much sugar can shut down the body, and we have to be ready when Discord strikes.”

The trio of ponies nodded, and rushed out of the room. The only ones left in the room were her, Cory, and Celestia. Looking at her mentor, Twilight thought about what would be best right now. Since they were now setting up for a full blown war, they’d have to get everything set up, and quick!

“Princess,” Twilight started. “Is there any chance we can get some materials in from Canterlot?”

“Raw materials?” Celestia asked. “I’m sure I can have some sent down, but that could weaken the army back at the castle.”

“I’m not asking for much,” Twilight pleaded. “Just enough to get us started?”

“Okay then,” Celestia said with a sigh.

“But what about Tory and Rainbow?” Cory asked. “We can’t just forget about them!”

“We haven’t Cory,” Twilight said. “I’m sure they’re fine though. Don’t forget, those two are among the most capable Equestria has right now. Rainbow is easily the fastest pony in this world, and Tory has that special magic. Those two are easily unstoppable together.”

Cory didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he got up and walked out of the room. Twilight didn’t really like that. She’d grown accustomed to having him beside her. They’d become friends quite fast, and after their little journey to find Tory, Twilight had realized that maybe she felt something for the human teen.

At first, she had been upset at the thought. But after recalling how Tory had become so close to Fluttershy, that she had sacrificed herself to save him, Twilight had decided that maybe race really DIDN’T matter! Thinking like that had removed a strangely heavy weight off her shoulders.

“Ahem,” Celestia said clearing her throat, and breaking Twilight out of her musings. “I think I’ll go back to Canterlot, and prepare those materials you asked for.”

“Uh yes, thank you Princess.” Twilight said, still a bit lost in her thoughts. “I’ll handle things here, you should get back so Discord can’t hurt you. Now more than ever, the ponies need to see that they still have a confident leader.”

As the alicorn stepped out of the room, Twilight walked up the stairs to her bed. Having taken all the responsibilities of this event alone, she was completely drained. Spike came up to her as she flopped down, and handed her a daisy sandwich. Twilight took a few meager bites, but she didn’t really eat.

“C’mon Twi’, you’ve got to pull yourself together,” Spike said. “The whole town is depending on you!”

“That’s just it Spike!” Twilight wailed. “I can’t do all of this alone! Up until now, I’ve always had friends to help me! But now I can harldy think clearly! Most of my thoughts are about…”

“…Cory, huh?” Spike asked. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Too tired to speak, Twilight just nodded her head. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but she was so caught on Cory right now, she couldn’t even cast the most simple spells. Twilight let a tear roll down her cheek. Spike brushed it away, and smiled gently.

“Look Twi’, just go talk to him,” Spike suggested. “Tell him how you feel. Trust me, you’ll feel better after you do.”

“Coming from the dragon that could never confess to Rarity,” Twilight teasted.

“Only because a certain purple unicorn revealed my secret before I got the chance!” Spike teased back.

They both laughed at this. Twilight definitely felt better when she was smiling. Honestly, most everypony felt better with a bit of laughter. She was in the midst of considering switching Pinkie’s job to keeping morale up, when a knock at the front door broke her thoughts. Spike went to asnwer it, leaving her to think clearly for the first time in a few days.

It worked at first, until the sound of heavy steps came up the stairs. Looking up, Twilight saw Cory standing there. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but then again he always did around her. Twilight smiled, realizing that Spike must have called him back here. She made a mental note to hurt him later.

“H-Hey Cory,” Twilight greeted him.

“Hi,” he greeted back. “Spike said you still had something to tell me?”

“Right um…” she started. “Well I…How do I put this?”

Twilight started to blush, but Cory couldn’t see that in the dim light. She had never done anything like this before. She could seal a legendary demon in stone, ‘defeat’ an Ursa Minor, even stand her own against Luna, but when it came to this sort of thing, she was completely out of her element. She had never read any books about love and how to confess to them.

“I’ve been feeling something lately,” Twilight started again. “And well…”

“Wait, I know where this is going,” Cory said, cutting her off. “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to. But I gotta ask, who is he?”

Twilight blushed deeper at this. She wanted to just come out and say it was him, but that was too bold for her taste. She thought back to some spells she had learned a while back. Getting the magic together, she made a ring of pink smoke appear. But wasn’t just a ring, it was in the shape of a heart, and it formed around Cory.

“I think you get the picture.” Twilight said, not really looking at him.

“Well uh…” Cory stammered. “I uh…think that I should…”

Twilight was about to ask him not to leave. If he left now, she’d never be able to forgive herself! Then Cory surprised her by wrapping her in a big hug. So caught off-guard, Twilight nearly fainted from the shock. Regaining control over her body, she instead wrapped her arms around his neck.

“You too huh?” Cory asked. “Glad I’m not the only one that was feeling this way!”

“You mean that you…” Twilight started.

“From the very beginning,” Cory said with a nod.

“…Why does it have to be now, of all times?” she whispered softly.

“Do you mean Discord, and Fluttershy?” Cory asked, still holding her.

“It seems like every time things pick back up, something has to ruin it!” Twilight complained. “Things had finally died down from the Luna event, then Discord comes back and tries to engulf the world in chaos! Then right after everypony got over that we have the massive Hellfire Wave and Tory appears the next day! Are we doomed to endure nothing but misery and suffering?!”

“I know I’m not really good with words, but let me say this.” Cory started, pulling Twilight closer to him. “Things happen. They always have, and they always will. It’s how life works. We just have to look past all of the bad shit, and enjoy the good…Like you right beside me.”

Twilight leaned into him more, glad that she had Cory beside her. She breathed in his scent, it smelled of marigold. It calmed her nerves, and she rested her head on his chest. He began to stroke her hair slowly and delicately. It tickled, and Twilight began to giggle. This got Cory laughing, and the two stayed that way for a few minutes, forgetting everything about the world that surrounded them.

Spike smiled as he heard them from downstairs. His little plan had worked to perfection. He’d seen the way Cory looked at Twilight, and the way she looked at him. It was obvious to everypony, save for them, how much the two felt for the other. He knew that he had to help, especially since it would give Twilight some much needed support to her mentality.

She’d been so unfocused these last few days, and it had taken its toll on her mind. With war just over the horizon, she had almost broken down. Spike had known Cory would be the only thing able to comfort her. That was how love worked. At least, that’s what the little dragon thought.

“Oh Spiiiiike!” Twilight called in a deceptively sweet voice.

Spike felt shivers run down his back, and turned to see the purple unicorn and Cory walking down the stairs towards him. Twilight had an evil smile on her face, and her eyes glinted mischievously. Cory’s face was one that said, ‘Run, I think she’s snapped!’ Spike took his meaning to heart, and sprinted for the door. He was out of the building in record time.

“…HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Cory, that was priceless!” Twilight laughed in between gasps for air. “That was the most fun I’ve had since meeting you guys!”

“I may not be good with words,” Cory said with a laugh. “But I can fool around with the best of them!”

The two of them laughed again, almost crying from the fun they were having. They didn’t stop until the sun had passed the midday point. After that, both Twilight and Cory walked back into the library to relax, and talk about whatever they fancied. Forgotten were the worries of the real world. They just wanted to enjoy each other’s company. And they planned on doing just that, without their other friends jumping in…

I.I.I

Looking up at the bright sun, Derpy let it’s warmth flow throughout her body. After the events of the day before, the gray-ish pegasus had searched around for Tory. He treated her differently. He acted like she mattered, which not many really did for her. She had only experienced kindness from a few ponies in her life, but something always seemed to take them away.

Fluttershy was one of those ponies. The golden pegasus had always treated Derpy like she was one of the family. Because of that, Derpy had felt all the more pain when she died. The gray pegasus knew that Tory had feelings for the shy pony, and that made her happy. When the two of them were together, they seemed to radiate a special happiness that just brightened everything up. It hurt her so much to see Tory in pain, still grieving over her loss.

Though ponies always avoided her, Derpy always managed to learn about recent events from their whispers as she walked by. Though she was often clumsy and had an eye problem, Derpy’s hearing was quite strong. As a result, even the most quiet of whispers were heard by her excellent ears.

Derpy had learned of what happened that day in Canterlot. She knew how Tory had married the beautiful golden pegasus as she began her departure from Equestria. It had broken her heart to hear of the event. Now, the gray-ish pegasus just wanted to find him, to comfort him, and return the kindness he showed her.

It wasn’t until a few minutes before that she learned Tory had gone to the Everfree castle to get back Rainbow Dash. The amber-eyed pegasus had tried to follow after them, but the trail ran cold when she got to the main gate. If there had been any sign of them before, it was already covered up and erased from the building.

Derpy shook her head, clearing away the sad thoughts. She had a job to do, and that was assist in the delivery of several important packages from Canterlot. Supposedly, Princess Celestia had asked for Derpy personally to do this job.

Now Derpy wasn’t really all that fast, and she didn’t have a special talent like the other ponies. So it confused her that Celestia would want HER to take on such an important role. Despite the fact that she had visual issues and balance troubles, Derpy’s brain functioned as effectively as any other pony’s would. She had just decided to let everypony think she was mentally challenged so that they’d leave her alone about the eye thing.

Giving a weak sigh, the amber-eyed pegasus let her hooves walk along completely of their free will. Without realizing it, they took her to Rarity’s Boutique. Derpy walked right into the closed door, hitting her head on the wood. The door opened a few seconds later, and Rarity popped her head outside. She looked around, and then saw Derpy crouched on the ground, rubbing the spot where she banged into the door.

“Why Derpy, is that you?” Rarity asked. The pegasus just nodded. “Whatever can I help you with?”

“…” Derpy didn’t say anything. She was completely capable of speech, she just didn’t like to talk. Instead, she got up and looked into Rarity’s eyes.

“Oh don’t worry deary,” the unicorn assured her. “Tory will be back soon with Rainbow Dash. Why don’t you come inside and I’ll make you a cup of tea?”

Derpy followed the fashion designer inside of her shop. The inside was completely different from what it usually was. Instead of the extravagant designs around the mannequins, there were suits of brownish metal. Derpy tilited her head to one side, trying to understand why the most capable fashion designer in Equestria would suddenly drop her passion, and change into something new.

“It’s for the war sweetie,” Rarity said calmly. “Twilight asked me to make them after Applejack, bless her kind soul, suggested we prepare for Discord to attack.”

Derpy nodded, and followed the white unicorn into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the small table near the center of the room, the pegasus just looked down, wondering why she had decided to come here. She was on the verge of an answer, when Rarity came over and set a nice piping hot cup of green tea in front of her.

“So Derpy,” the unicorn asked, trying to make small talk. “What brings you to my cozy little home?”

“…”

“Oh, I see,” Rarity said with a nod. “You were wondering how we’re all doing. Am I right?”

Derpy nodded, brightening up. Rarity was another of the ponies that treated her nicely. She was also the only pony to actually understand the pegasus just by looking into her eyes. Rarity called it part of her gift, being able to see what others want to say just by looking at them.

“Well I’m thrilled that you came by, just to see if little ol’ me needed some support.” she said, smiling gently at the pegasus. “If only the other ponies were more like you. They all seem to just exude hate towards us, all because Fluttershy did the most loving thing one could do for her lover, and we still stand by Tory.”

At the mention of the human boy, Derpy lowered her head. Rarity noticed this, and put a hoof on her shoulder. She used her other hoof to lift the pegasus’ head, looking into her amber eyes. Derpy saw a gentle fiercness within them.

“I understand how you feel sweetie,” Rarity said softly. “We all feel the same way. It was just too soon in my opinion. And to think that I, me of all people, had treated him with such anger, when he was actually a nice guy! I felt so terrible when Celestia told us how he wasn’t a spy, and when he told us his story. It was so sad…Derpy, do you know his story?”

The pegasus shook her head. Tory’s past was one thing that was kept a secret from the public. Only the Elements of Harmony and Celestia knew about it. Derpy sipped her tea politely while she listened to Rarity tell her the story. A few times, Derpy almost cried. His life sounded so sad, yet he still tried to persevere. Even Rarity had trouble keeping the sadness out of her voice. When she finished, Derpy looked at her hooves.

“He needs our support now more than ever,” Rarity finished. “And I think your support would help too. Derpy, he does consider you a friend.”

The pegasus just nodded, still thinking about what she had heard. To learn so much about the guy that treated her so nicely…It made her happy to be considered his friend too. With a glance at Rarity, Derpy swore to herself she’d do everything she could to help keep Tory happy.

“I’m glad you understand,” the white unicorn said, noticing the fierce look in the pony’s eyes. “Now then, what say we get you outfitted?”

Before she had time to react, Rarity used her magic to drag Derpy into the main room, and began to take measurements. She pulled out a chalkboard, and began to draw sketches of a pegasus with light armor covering her torso, flank, and head.

“Derpy dear,” Rarity asked the pegasus. “Which do you prefer, mobility or defense? I need to know what kind of armor to make you so you can join us…Oh don’t look at me like that! Derpy, you’re our friend too, and we want you to join us with Tory…Hmmm mobility it is then!”

Rarity erased parts of the design, and removed the helmet from Derpy’s armor. Instead, she put greaves on the drawing, and sketched what looked like extensions to the wings. Observing them closely, Derpy saw how sharp the extensions looked, and glanced over at Rarity.

“Well you can’t just bluntly strike everything with your hooves!” the unicorn said with a start. “A good edge to those wings, and you’ll be able to cut down anything that you can’t punch! You won’t even feel the difference while you’re flying…What, don’t believe me? Ask some of the other pegasi, they’ll tell you they’ve tried on the pieces, and barely felt it at all. In fact, they said they were faster with it on than normal. Something about aerodynamics or…”

Derpy nodded, she understood. Derpy had studied hard in her flight classes. The edge to the wings would not only serve a battle purpose, but it would cut the air that glided past any pegasi wearing the extension, reducing wind resistance and increasing velocity. The end result, faster flying, and a more lethal slash to the opponent!

“I see you understand deary,” Rarity said with a smile. “So I guess I’ll get to work on your armor right away. Only the best for my friends!”

Derpy replayed that last word in her head…Friends…So few ever called her that. As Derpy walked out of the building, a tear rolled down her cheek. Just two weeks ago, she had been a nobody. She hadn’t any friends, just people who talked to her. Now Derpy suddenly had Tory, Rarity, Twilight, Cory, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash…even Grace and Big Macintosh, as her friends. That added up to nine friends. That was nine more than she had ever had in her lifetime!

Giving a sniffle of delight, Derpy walked down the street with her head held high, and a soft tune on her lips. After talking with Rarity, she felt much happier! She was going to enjoy herself, and the company of her new friends. Breaking into a trot, Derpy headed straight for Sugarcube Corner, wondering if Pinkie Pie was up for a good time…

I.I.I

Applejack was feeling good today. Something about it just seemed brighter. Maybe it was how Derpy seemed to be in a good mood after moping about yesterday, looking for who knows what. Maybe it was how Cory and Twilight seemed to be almost inseparable nowadays. Applejack couldn’t tell for sure, but things definitely looked good today.

After the meeting ended, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had gotten the pink pony’s family down to the farm, and they had collected as many apples as the trees would give. They’d loaded up all of the carts with the fruit, and shipped them directly to the sweets shop. There, Applejack’s family along with Pinkie’s began the careful task of making food rations for what would hopefully be an army.

Applejack herself wouldn’t be able to help though. She and Macintosh were placed in charge of organizing everypony to be battle ready. Rarity was helping by giving the pegasi bladed wings, and she had even designed a special horseshoe that would allow earth ponies to strike harder with each attack. It looked like a normal horseshoe, but it was enhanced with a special magic coating that made it lighter and tougher at the same time. The end result being a nice boost for the earth ponies’ low self esteem.

The orange earth pony herself was getting all of her farming tools together, and passing them out to ponies that came by for training. Twilight had said they should be prepared, why not go the extra step and get the ponies ready for actual battle?

“Okay ev’rypony,” Applejack instructed. “Watch closely at how Macintosh tries ta take me down! Brother, show me what ya got!”

The red earth pony held his weapon, a simple broom, in his mouth, and charged at his sister. He swept the wooden piece under her legs, causing them to fly out and Applejack to fall to the ground. As she got to her legs, her eyes flared with a playful gleam, and she lashed out with her front hooves. She tackled her brother, and removed the broom from him.

The watching ponies observed the scuffle in silence. They weren’t sure if this was a training session, but they were learning some fighting moves nonetheless. As the two siblings wore themselves out, they decided that it was time to end the little tussle.

“An’ that,” Applejack said with a huff. “Is how ya fight back. Did ev’rypony get that?”

As the observers nodded, Applejack thanked her brother for the help, and walked away from the group. She collapsed under a nearby tree, and watched as the ponies broke off into groups to practice what they saw. Taaking her hat off, Applejack sighed heavily. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see amber eyes staring at her caringly.

“Woah nelly!” Applejack said, surprised. “Oh, hey Derpy, what brings ya ta the farm? I thought you were hanging out with Pinkie Pie.”

Derpy continued to stare at her with that calm, caring expression. It creeped Applejack out, but it was still interesting to see her. All day, the pegasus has been trying to help others by going around and raising the morale of other ponies with Pinkie. So far, they’d managed to keep everypony’s spirits up.

“Oh well,” Applejack said with a shrug. “It don’ really matter. You sure been happy today sugarcube, what brought that on?”

“…” Derpy tilted her head in a kind of adorable way.

“Heh, ya know Derpy, it’s kinda fun talkin’ wit you. I bet ya hear all kinds of things, am I right? Ya always listen ta the others, and don’ never say nothin’. Why, I’ll bet ponies tell ya all sorts of secrets!”

Derpy smiled kindly, and settled down beside Applejack. She yawned silently, and rested her head on the soft grass. The orange earth pony smiled. She looked adorable like that. It was a shame they had to become friends during the worst of times.

“Well, ya’ll just rest yer little head, an’ I’ll bring ya back a nice juicy apple ta snack on.” Applejack said sweetly.

The earth pony walked away quietly, and found a tree that still had a few apples left. Bucking it without even trying, two apples fell down, and landed on her back. Walking over to Derpy, Applejack placed one at her hooves, and slowly ate the other one. It tasted great, and had a sweet smell that wafted around her.

Looking down, Applejack noticed Derpy had woken up, and was nibbling on her apple too. She smiled at the gray-ish pegasus, and finished her apple. When Derpy ate the last bite of hers, the two got up and walked downhill towards Ponyville.

“So Derpy,” Applejack started. “What’s it like, bein’ a pegasus?”

“…” Derpy tilted her head in the same fashion.

“…Still feelin’ out o’ it?” Applejack asked. “Well no worries! A lil’ bit o’ walkin’ ought ta get ya woken up.”

They walked into town, and was greeted by Pinkie Pie, as she performed some strange acrobatic trick that everypony seemed to love. Applejack smiled as she watched. Derpy stared in awe, as she had never seen an earth pony do something so…extravagant! The performance carried on for few minutes. When she finished, Pinkie walked over to her friends, sweating a bit.

“Hiya Applejack, Derpy!” Pinkie said in her happy-go-lucky voice. “What’re you doin’ out here?”

“Just takin’ a walk,” Applejack explained. “Me an’ Derpy thought it might be good to step away from the stress for a few minutes.”

“Oh, can I join you?” Pinkie asked. “My flank is sore from all of the fun I’ve been trying to share. If I don’t take a break, my legs are gonna fall off, and then what would I do? I wouldn’t be able to do what Twilight asked of me, and that would make everypony sad.”

“Easy there partner,” Applejack said, placing a hoof over Pinkie’s mouth. “Of course you can join us. Isn’t that right Derpy?”

The gray-ish pegasus nodded. Pinkie’s eyes lit up, and she began to bounce happily like she usually did. All three of them walked down the street, letting the sun warm them up. Derpy was enjoying the breeze that accompanied it, Applejack was looking around at the other ponies to see if any of them needed help, and Pinkie was humming happily to herself. After walking around the town, they all returned to their assignments, a little bit happier than when they started. When the other two left, Derpy jumped into the air, and headed for Cloudsdale. She had to get to sleep early, so that she could do her best tomorrow when she traveled to Canterlot to pick up the first shipment of materials.

All the other pegasi looked at Derpy with something close to envy. How come SHE was picked for this special assignment? They broke off into groups to gossip about how she must have wormed her way into getting Celestia’s favor. Derpy heard all of this, but she wouldn’t let the others get her down. She was too happy at having friends to let their words sting her heart.

Yawning silently, Derpy finally entered her cloud home, and fell onto the fluffy cloud bed. She nestled herself under the warm gray covers, letting the events of the day drift her off to sleep…

I.I.I

Discord was enjoying the show. After his ‘defeat’ in Canterlot, he’d gone to the one place where he could heal in privacy: The Everfree castle. It used to be his home, until Celestia and Luna trapped him in stone. The demon’s eyes flashed for a second, just thinking about that day made him angry. Instead, he shook his head and continued to watch his guests struggle.

He had been quite surprised to find Rainbow Dash come to the castle alone, especially since Tory had recently confessed to her. Discord had planned to strike her down, and then deliver the body to Tory personally, but something inside him said to wait. Not even a minute after he listened to it, Rainbow took off for the cellar, where he had that old ‘Cloister of Whatsit’…Oh right…’Love’!

That word disgusted him. He wanted to take the damn thing and drag it through the mud, rip it into a million small pieces of garbage, and roast it in the fiery pits of Hell! Ponies always talked about how much they ‘love’ somepony, and how they’d do whatever they could for that ‘special somepony’. Bleh! Discord hated anypony or person that used the term so loosely. They didn’t understand love at all!

If fact, only one pony seemed to really understand what love was, and Discord had killed her with her lover’s sword! Thinking back to that event, the demon smiled evilly. He loved to relive the moment the light left her and Tory’s eyes, even if he had nearly died in the process. He kept rewatching the scenario play out, laughing like an idiot whenever the sword pierced Fluttershy.

Then he’d watch Tory try to marry her before the pegasus died, and he’d sing her that sappy song that he ‘wrote’. The kid was many things, talented being one of them, but a song writer was not one of them! The lyrics sucked ass! Just thinking about it made Discord want to puke.

But getting back to the current time frame, Discord was enjoying Rainbow and Tory trying to solve the third trial. He saw Tory reading the words on the pedastal, and get frustrated when he couldn’t make out those two words. Discord knew them though. The whole thing read out, ‘If what you want is the key, deny the gem and let it be. Your greed will consume you and your partner too.’

It was a trial to see if they were greedy, or if they were generous. So far, the room hadn’t decided which they were. It would after another day or so decide that they were greedy on it’s own, and then the walls would close in around them. Discord wanted to see how long it would take the two ‘lovers’ to realize the door was unlocked on this room too.

“Hahahaha! Those two losers will never figure it out,” Discord said with a laugh. “It’s just too funny!”

The demon let his laughter ring around the castle. No one would come here, not since that gray pegasus tried. Discord had covered up the trail that Rainbow and Tory had taken. It was like they had never been there.

But now the demon was starting to get bored. Those two decided to just stop and take a nap. The nerve of those fools! But Discord was not really upset. He was actually glad this happened. He had been developing a little something that was sure to piss Tory off. For it to work, the boy had to be asleep. Since he now was, Discord began his little scheme to ruin yet another aspect of the teen’s life. He chuckled as his body disappeared into nothingness…

I.I.I

Tory’s sleep had been quite interesting lately. Almost every dream he had nowadays included him and Rainbow doing something fun. But this dream had not been pleasant. Instead, it made him worry, as he now stood in front of a very familiar building. It wasn’t one he’d seen since his last summer break.

Tory was standing in front of a large, white building. It towered into the skies, a good three stories up. It had two front doors, with a guard rail running half way between them, signifying that it was two separate homes. Tory gulped, knowing something wasn’t right. He looked behind him to see a highway on a hill. To his right, there was an large sign that said ‘Prima Motel’.

Tory was back in the real world! He knew, the moment he saw that sign, that he was in Pennsylvania. One of his aunts used to work at the motel, which had a bar on the side. He turned back to the white house. It wasn’t his home, but an old friend of his lived there. The guy and his siblings were a little…eccentric, but they were good people.

Tory thought back to the last time he was here, and gulped again. Before he left to go back to his main home in Florida, he’d stopped by to say farewell to his friends. It had started off simple. The entire summer, Tory had been trying to work his way towards his friend’s sister, but the girl didn’t really regard him like that. They mostly thought of him as a cousin, instead of a friend. At least, that’s what she said at the time.

Tory managed to get her to at least give him a chance, which wasn’t much considering he was still new to the dating scenario. When he last saw them, he had given her a hug, and snuck a kiss in before he let go. He knew she’d try to kill him if he tried, she even said so when they started ‘dating’, so he had one of her brothers open the front door so he could make a quick escape…Tory was just lucky that she hadn’t her ‘tools’ with her at the time.

Akira, as Tory referred to her, using the Japanese name he gave her when he wrote his first story, “The Uzumaki Brigade’, was quite…sadistic. There was no other word to use for her. It wasn’t that he was into that kind of thing, he just thought she was cute. It didn’t hurt that she was an avid Naruto fan.

But she always had a set of weapons around her, save for that day. Akira was an expert with throwing weapons, like knives and shuriken. She called them her ‘tools’. But it was really just a kitchen set of knives and her starter Naruto kit.

But getting back to the point, Akira was probably still pissed with him. He didn’t want to go in there. That would be like walking right into a hungry lion’s den with a meat necklace on, it’d be just plain stupid and suicidal.

“She sounds fun to me,” came an unfortunately familiar voice. “Would you be willing to introduce me to her?”

“Okay Discord, get out here,” Tory said, his anger beginning to rise. “You and I have some unfinished business!”

“That we do, but not today. Instead, how about I show you something I think you’ll enjoy?”

Tory didn’t like the sound of that. He looked at the house again, finally noting that the front dooe was open. Without hesitating, he dashed into their living room. The room was a mess, but then again, it always looked like that. There were like, ten kids in the house, all of them ranging from nineteen to three!

Tory didn’t stop though. He quickly made his way upstairs, stopping to see if anyone was home. The second floor was empty, which was where the parents and Akira slept. Sprinting the last flight up, Tory reached the third floor, where his friend and the older brothers slept.

The entire floor was one room. There were four beds inside, two along the left and right walls. The ceiling was slanted upward and inward, making it easy to hit your head if you got up from bed too fast. There was a single window, which had a figure huddled under it. Tory recognized the person as Eric, his old friend. Rushing over, he put a hand on his shoulder.

“Eric, what the hell happened?” Tory said urgently but calmly. “Where is everybody?”

“There is no Eric here…Tory.” he said. “There is only me, Discord.”

Tory took a step back, and withdrew his daggers. He got into a fighting stance, and held one dagger at his waist behind him, and the other at his head, the blade aimed at the one who claimed to be Discord. He looked just like Tory’s friend. He had the closely shaved hair, slightly smaller than Tory, and a slight baby face, but it was barely noticeable. The thing that spooked Tory was the look in his eyes, or actually his eyes for that matter. They were red with white pupils. He had a dark aura that covered the room, and it was actually visible It was a dark purple, the color of true evil, and it radiated off of him in waves.

“Discord you bastard!” Tory snarled. “What have you done with Eric?! So help me God, I will kill you where you now stand if he’s hurt!”

“Go ahead Tory, kill me,” Discord said, his voice echoing with Eric’s at the same time. It was creepy, but still kind of cool. “Just know that if you do, then you kill Eric too.”

“You…You possessed him!” Tory shouted in disbelief. “You twisted mother fucker!”

“As I say time and again, compliments will get you nowhere.” Discord said with a sigh, shaking Eric’s head. “When will you learn?”

“Give him back Discord,” Tory said threateningly. “Right. Now.”

“Go ahead Tory, make your little threats. Challenge me to a fight to the death. You can’t do anything.” Discord/Eric said walking around him. “You’re not even here! I dragged your spirit out of you while you slept. If anything, you’re just a ghost right now!”

“How did you find him?” Tory asked, keeping his daggers up. “No one knows about him but me.”

“Where did you think I learned about him?” Discord/Eric asked. “I stole the memory from you back when I first started probing your mind. In that sense, YOU led me to him Tory. Now then, I think it’s time we sent you back into that damned Cloister.”

Discord/Eric pulled out what looked like a .45, and aimed it at Tory’s chest. He pulled the trigger, and a gunshot sounded. The teen was hit dead center with the blast, unable to move in time. He flew back into the wall, and smashed against it. As he slid down to the floor, he saw his blood all over his torso. Tory’s vision dimmed, and Discord/Eric was gone…

I.I.I

“GAAAH!”

Rainbow Dash jumped to her feet at the sound. She had been sleeping peacefully by Tory up until now. As she looked around, alert for any danger, she spotted Tory beside her, crying out in pain. His chest was stained red, and Rainbow almost fainted.

Instead, she shook the terrible thoughts away, and got beside him. She lifted his shirt to see what looked like blood. She feared the worst, and tried to apply pressure to where she thought the wound was. She couldn’t find any, besides a large mark on his chest, but it wasn’t even bleeding.

Tory began to calm down, realizing that he wasn’t dying. After another few seconds, his breathing returned to normal, and he sat up. He looked terrible, as though he had just witnessed the death of Fluttershy again. Rainbow began to speak soothingly to him, letting her voice snap him back into reality.

“Oh God Rainbow,” Tory sobbed. “That bastard has him! He stole Eric away! He found him, and possessed him! Discord is in Eric’s body!”

“Tory, calm down,” Rainbow said, trying to keep her voice even. Seeing him so worked up was never a good sign. “Take a deep breath, and tell me what happened.”

Tory inhaled deeply, and began from the moment he fell asleep. He mentioned how he was back on Earth, how Discord had taken over his friend Eric, and then used his body to shoot Tory at point-blank. That was when he cried out, and Rainbow brought him to his senses. Rainbow just listened in silence. When he finished, she spoke up slowly and calmly.

“What a heartless piece of shit,” she said, surprising Tory, who had never heard her swear. “I’m going to make him regret his birth!”

“Rainbow…” Tory said quietly. “Please, whatever you do, don’t go after Discord. I don’t want to lose you too…”

He wrapped his arms around her, and brought her in close. She returned the hug, and nuzzled his hair. He began to laugh, and then she felt something warm run down her stomach. She stepped back, and saw that the strange red liquid had soaked through Tory’s shirt and gotten on her.

“Ugh!” Rainbow said in disgust. “What is this stuff?!”

“Its…Its liquid pop rocks?!” Tory exclaimed in surprise after putting some of the stuff on his finger, and placing it in his mouth. “Oh that bastard! He was toying with me!”

“Liquid pop rocks?” Rainbow asked coming over.

“Pop rocks are a type of candy back on my world,” Tory explained. “Basically, they were small, crystalline bits of candy that popped and crackled in your mouth when you left them there. Here, they still work, even though they’re liquid now.”

Tory scooped up a bit on his shirt, and passed it over to Rainbow, she licked a little off his finger, and it tasted like cherries. Then the crackling began. Rainbow liked it, and she took the rest from Tory. They sat there for a few minutes, just enjoying the candy. Tory hadn’t had any in forever, so it felt good to have some sweets grace his taste buds.

Finally they finished, and got up. Rainbow looked at Tory, and noticed he still had a bit of the candy on his face, just a little to the side of his mouth. She flew over to him, and licked it off, causing him to blush VERY deeply. Only after doing that did Rainbow realize what she did, and she blushed too. The two looked at each other, and smiled innocently. Rainbow wrapped her hooves around Tory’s neck, and kissed him gently. He returned it, holding her close to him.

As they broke the kiss, the walls around them began to rumble, and close inward. They picked up speed, barely giving Tory and Rainbow any time to think, let alone act. Tory ran straight for the advancing door, with Rainbow right behind him.

As they neared it, Tory noticed that they needed more time to get there. Thinking quickly, he ducked, causing Rainbow to fly right past him. Coming up, he placed his hands on the wall which were now within arms length of him, and pushed outward. They slowed down, but only a little. The strain on Tory’s arms was unbearable, but he kept pushing.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Rainbow looking at him from her place in front. Her eyes were round with fear, but Tory smiled at her.

“Go, go now Rainbow!” Tory shouted. “I can only hold these walls at bay for so long!”

“But Tory-”

“RAINBOW PLEASE!!” Tory begged her, tears beginning to form in his eyes. “Just please…go without me. If one of us has to die so the other can live, I’d rather sacrifice myelf than let you die! You still have a chance…for everything!”

“I…I…” Rainbow stammered. “…I just can’t Tory!”

She flew over to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck again. She gripped him tightly, refusing to leave his side. Tory groaned in pain as his arms were forced to bend, causing the strength behind them to weaken. The walls picked up speed once more. Tory got up, and placed his legs on the walls, now completely using his body to hold it back. He succeeded in even pushing them back a bit, and the walls stopped completely.

“Rainbow, I’m begging you,” Tory cried. His eyes shone with such sadness. “I’m going to die, either way. If this doesn’t kill me, then I could very well die fighting Discord. You though, you can still keep going. Rainbow, there are so many things the world has to offer you. Your dream to become a Wonderbolt, the chance to stay by your friends…a chance to fall in love again… Please, do this…for me.”

“T-Tory,” Rainbow said, speechless. How was she supposed to leave him there to be crushed to death? “I-”

“Aaaaaaagh!” Tory cried out as his muscles began to spasm. The walls groaned in rage, trying to press forward. “This…This is the last thing I can do…Rainbow…I’ve got enough left in me to get you past the door…This is your last chance! Go now!”

“I’m not leaving you Tory!” Rainbow Dash argued.

“Dammit Rainbow!” Tory cried out, now more upset because he swore at her. “There will be others… there always are. If you don’t go now, I won’t be able to hold these things back!…Rainbow, you can find another love. Forget about me. I’m done for…”

Before Rainbow had a chance to say otherwise, Tory used his magic to create a large hand, made of pure energy. It grabbed Rainbow, and moved her all the way to the door. She tried to struggle out of it, but it held her tight. It punched the door open, and dropped her on the other side.

Seeing that she was safe now, Tory let his arms fall to his sides. He could barely move them now. He looked at the distance he’d have to cover before the walls crushed him, and knew he wouldn’t make it unless he started off doing a sonic rainboom. Odds of that happening were zero.

“Let’s see if I can use another bit of cartoon material to get past this.” Tory said quietly to himself. He let his legs fall to the floor, and the wall swarmed around him. “I’m…I’m going ghost!”

Rainbow saw a flash of light, and turned away. She heard the rumble of the wall as it crushed Tory. At the same time, she felt herself being crushed too. She lowered her head, unable to do anything now. Her first love had sacrificed himself to save her…Just like Fluttershy…

Rainbow Dash fell to the floor and began to cry. Why? Why did this always have to happen to her?! And why Tory?! He deserved much better than this! Now she’d never get to be with him, she’d never be able to see his smile again…Rainbow felt so hollow inside.

And she knew it was her fault too. She had been the one to ignore Tory’s wishes, and come to the Cloister anyway. She had been the one to let him tag along. She had let him do so much, and he had paid the ultimate price…his life. Getting Fluttershy back would be terrible now. The pegasus would probably try to commit suicide the second she found out Tory was dead, that or be forever upset with Rainbow. And she knew the others would hate her for it. She deserved to be hated, since she had let Tory die. Rainbow let the tears flow so openly, praying that this was all a dream, and that she was beside Tory in Cloudsdale. She blinked once…twice…but she was still in the Cloister. Rainbow couldn’t bear it anymore, and curled up into a ball, just begging for something to change, for Tory to be beside her, comforting her.

“I hope…you’re not…crying for me…” came a voice behind Rainbow.

Looking up and turning around, Rainbow saw something unbelievable. Leaning heavily against the wall, was Tory. His arms hung limply at his sides, and one leg seemed to be unable to hold his weight. Rainbow felt the tears build up in her eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy. She flew over to Tory, and tackled him to the ground, showering him in kisses.

“Ow…Ow…Okay Rainbow,” Tory whispered. “I’m kind of…banged up right now…and your standing on my…lungs.”

“Oh um…” Rainbow stammered, embarrassed. She got off of him, and walked around to lay down beside his head. “I’m sorry Tory…I just thought…I lost you…”

“And leave you alone?” Tory asked her, still out of breath. “I’d…have to be…brain dead! No…you’re not…getting rid of me…that easily!”

Rainbow kissed him gently, and curled up beside him. Tory’s breathing was irregular, but it slowed down to a certain pattern. Rainbow took it as a sign that he had fallen asleep. She rested her head beside his, and tried to fall asleep. But one thing kept her awake. Just how had Tory managed to escape the walls? Rainbow was so sure that he’d been crushed by them.

…Just how does he do it?!

I.I.I

When she awoke, Rainbow felt almost at peace. She looked over at Tory, and saw how calm and peaceful he looked, even though he had nearly died earlier. Getting up as quietly as she could, she walked around the next room they had entered. It looked exactly like the Deception room, it even had the little bit of water on the side, only this time the water was clear.

Lapping up a few drops, Rainbow felt the coolness of the water surge through her, giving her legs energy. She was about to bring some water back to Tory when she felt a headache come on. It hit Rainbow so suddenly, that she actually felt dizzy, and fell to the floor. Then her vision changed.

I.I.I

Rainbow was back at the castle gardens, but now she was looking on from another point of view. This time, she was looking out from the center of it all. Before, she had been on the side, now she was right beside Fluttershy. Rainbow felt a tear roll down her cheek. The golden pegasus shouldn’t have had to die.

Looking over to Discord, Rainbow noticed that Tory’s sword wasn’t where it was last time. Instead, it was in his hand. Rainbow looked into his eyes, and saw something strange there. Tory’s eyes held no love as he looked at Fluttershy. Then, he did something that shocked Rainbow.

Tory actually stabbed Fluttershy with his sword. He fell backwards, completely of his own will. He smirked, and called out to the golden pegasus like he actually cared. Then everything proceeded as it normally did, save for Discords’ warning. Rainbow kept an eye on Tory, seeing no love or regret as he looked at Fluttershy. After he sang his song to her, Rainbow leaned in as he whispered to Fluttershy before she died.

“You deserve to die,” Tory said so quietly. “You’re weak and pathetic! Now I don’t have to stay with a loser like you.”

Rainbow stepped back, not believing what she was hearing. Tory was the one that killed Fluttershy, not Discord! Rainbow tried to punch Tory, but she just fazed through him, like she was a ghost or something. She continued to follow the rest of the event, until Tory ran out on them.

As Rainbow rounded the corner behind Tory, she could hear him laughing. It was quiet, but loud enough to make her spine shiver. He spoke in a malicious manner, making Rainbow wonder just what the hell was wrong with him.

“Now that she’s dead, I can move on to part two of Discords’ master plan to take over. Next, I’ll kill Rainbow Dash. She’s so gullible, that it won’t even be hard to get her to like me. I’ll just lay low for a while, and make everypony think I’m so upset about Flutterbitch’s death. Hahahaha!”

Rainbow felt her rage tip over. How could Tory, someone she believed to be so nice, have such a cruel side?! How could he kill Fluttershy, and call her a bitch?! Rainbow tried to hit Tory again, but she continued to go through him.

Then Rainbow’s vision changed again, and she was back in the Cloister…

I.I.I

Rainbow stared at Tory, who still was asleep. She saw him in a new light now. No longer was he the innocent boy that she loved…He was a cold-blooded murderer, and Rainbow had to take him down. Everything made sense to her now. The reason Tory could cast magic like Discord, and ‘defeat’ the demon so easily…The reason he was able to survive being crushed to death, and why he didn‘t want to bring Fluttershy back…He was working with Discord in secret, trying to kill off the Elements of Harmony!

She glared at the boy she thought she loved. What was she going to do now? She was trapped in this room with him, and she couldn’t go forward. If she tried, Tory would probably kill her and steal the wish for himself or his partner Discord. Either way, she had to do something about him.

Walking up to him, Rainbow removed one of the daggers that hung at his waist. She remembered how Tory had used this dagger to cut himself, and offered for anypony to kill him. She wished she could go back to that moment and plunge the damn thing right into his non-existant heart! Thinking back on it now, Rainbow couldn’t believe she tried to protect this monster!

“Fluttershy deserved to die, did she?” Rainbow whispered quietly to herself. “What gives you the right to decide that? Maybe you’re the one that deserves to die! And with this knife, the very same one you offered to the other ponies, I’ll make sure that you get just that!”

Rainbow reared back her head, prepared to send the dagger right through Tory’s chest and pierce everything that kept him alive. But before she came forward, she started to remember things. She remembered how Tory had rescued her from the sea when she was drowning, how they had shared that kiss the very same night. She remembered how he held her close, and the great feelings he stirred in her.

Rainbow shook her head, trying to clear away those memories. They were lies, all of them! This bastard killed Fluttershy, he just downright murdered her! But though she tried to forget them, Rainbow couldn’t help but see the memories.

She saw the love in Tory’s eyes every time he looked at her. She felt how much he cared with every hug, and the emotion behind every kiss. Despite what she had seen, Tory seemed to genuinely care for Rainbow.

The blue pegasus dropped the knife with a clatter, and stepped back. Tears rolled down her face as she looked at the still sleeping boy. She couldn’t do it, she just couldn’t! Despite the fact that he killed Fluttershy, and that he was working with Discord, Rainbow still loved Tory! She was so torn between her love, and getting revenge for Fluttershy, she couldn’t do anything!

“I…I can’t do it!” Rainbow whispered to herself. “I love Tory too much to hurt him…”

“U-Uhn,” Tory groaned as he woke up. He grabbed the back of his head in pain. “I’m never going to do that again…Aw, who am I kidding? I’ll do it again if it’s for Rainbow Dash!”

Tory looked over at her, and saw how scared she looked. He became serious, and tried to get up. His legs wobbled, and a few times he buckled, but eventually he made it over to Rainbow. He tried to put his arm around her, to comfort the pegasus, but she ducked out of it and moved away some.

“Rainbow, what’s wrong?” Tory asked, he actually looked concerned. “Did I do something to upset you?”

“T-Tory, will you…Will you answer me a few questions?” Rainbow stammered.

“I uh…Sure,” Tory said, confused. “What do you need to know?”

“That day in Canterlot,” she began. “Did…Did you kill Fluttershy?”

“What?!” Tory asked, completely caught off-guard. “I would NEVER do something so monstrous! I loved her…so much. How could I kill her?!”

“I…I saw a vision…of you stabbing her with your sword,” Rainbow admitted. “I heard you call her weak and that she deserved to die!”

“I’d never say something so heartless to Fluttershy!” Tory said, his voice escalating. “I would’ve died for her if I’d been given the chance!”

“I…I don’t know what to believe!” Rainbow shouted. “I want to believe you Tory, I truly do…but the vision…”

“…Look,” Tory said with a sigh. “I can’t make you do or say something you don’t want to believe in. Only you can make the choice of what to believe. If you feel that I’m lying, take my dagger, and kill me right now. I won’t lift a finger in defense. But if you believe me, then please, don’t do something you’ll regret later…I’ve said all that I need to. Now you need to decide…”

Rainbow picked the dagger back up, and walked over to Tory. She looked into his eyes, and saw acceptance and love in them. She felt herself freeze, and couldn’t look away. She shut her eyes tight, praying that she would make the right decision . The memories came flowing back to her once more.

That first time when they were alone, when Rainbow confessed. If Tory was so bad, why would he save her life? He could’ve just as easily let her drown, and then he could move on to the next pony. But he didn’t. Instead, he saved Rainbow, and shared that fantastic moment by the moonlit water with her. That was not the sort of thing that a murderer would do…

The next day when they were going back to Ponyville, Tory had been right beside Rainbow the entire time. When he made those beautiful wings, and picked her up, followed by kissing her. When he played the joker and fell in the water, just so she could get a laugh. When he said he just wanted a peaceful life, and to settle down with her… Only someone that actually cared for her would do and say these things!

Then she remembered the first time she met Tory. Even before he woke up, Rainbow saw something in him. It wasn’t love then, it was something different that she couldn’t figure out. She’d seen the love Fluttershy gave him, and how she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt him. If Tory hated Fluttershy in the first place because he thought she was weak, why was he with her then? He could’ve just broken it off if he didn’t like her.

All of these thoughts flashed through Rainbow’s head. The vision kept popping back in between each memory, trying to remind her of what he did. She wasn’t sure what was true and what was a lie. Rainbow lifted the dagger into the air, and aimed the blade at Tory. He didn’t budge an inch, he just sat there, looking at her with an expression that read ‘I’ll love you no matter what you decide.’

The blue pegasus brought the blade down, and just narrowly missed Tory’s head. He looked from her, to the blade, and back. He got up, and hugged her gently. Rainbow just stood there, sobbing. She prayed she made the right decision.

“I…I couldn’t do it Tory!” she cried. “I couldn’t kill you! No matter how I look at things, it doesn’t make sense! Why would you kill Fluttershy, but save my life? Why would you betray us for Discord? That’s not the Tory I know! I just couldn’t accept it!”

“Hush now,” Tory said soothingly, stroking her mane softly. “You don’t have to say any more. Things are going to be okay now.”

“Tory…” Rainbow whispered. “I’m so sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said, giving her a kind smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I almost killed you!” she protested. “I almost turned into somepony I’m not! How can I not have done anything wrong?!”

“You almost killed me,” Tory responded. “The keyword is almost. Since you didn’t, there is nothing wrong.”

“…I love you Tory,” Rainbow said, kissing him. “And that’ll never change.”

“I know, and I love you too.” He said, returning the kiss.

They both got up, and walked over to the next door. The two of them had successfully completed all of the trials that stood before them. Now, they had only to walk through this door, and make the wish. Tory didn’t want to though. The moment Fluttershy was brought back, he’d have to choose between her and Rainbow. How was he supposed to make a choice like that?

Both ponies had lovable qualities that Tory found absolutely unresistable. Fluttershy was the super kind soul that showed the utmost compassion to everypony. Rainbow Dash was the loyal, brave soul that never backed down, and took on every situation with confidence. Fluttershy had this special aura about her that made everypony smile, almost like Pinkie, but in a different way. Rainbow, while stubborn, had this flair that made others never give in, and gave them strength.

Tory sighed, knowing that deciding this would be the most complicated part of his relationships. He couldn’t have both of them, could he? The thought was interesting, but it sounded so unfair to both of them. Yes, he’d be able to keep both relationships, but he’d have to devote his time to both of them, possibly making the other feel left out. It brought a tear to his eye, knowing that life could be so cruel to him at times.

“Don’t worry Tory,” Rainbow said calmly, as she saw the tear roll down his face. “You belong with Fluttershy. You loved her first, and you married her before you ever felt feelings for me. I’m just glad that I was able to spend even a little time with you.”

Tory noticed how she didn’t look at him Even though she said she was fine with him picking Fluttershy, Rainbow obviously wasn’t. That made him feel even worse about this. He knew that his choice would hurt the other pegasus, and Tory didn’t want to do that.

Before they even got another step in, a sword felw past their heads. It embedded itself in the door, and a large gust of wind followed it. Turning around, both Rainbow and Tory saw something they weren’t expecting. Standing at the previous door was Discord, still in Eric’s body.

“Surprised to see me, Tory?” Discord/Eric said, switching between voices. “I hope you don’t mind if I cut this short. I’m not going to let you revive that pathetic excuse for a pegasus! In fact, I’m not going to let either of you leave this place alive! The Cloister will become your tomb!”

“Discord,” Tory spat, unsheating his broad sword. “I should’ve known you try to stop us! This is the perfect chance to make you regret what you’ve done! Give back Eric’s body, and fight me like a man!”

“But I’m not a man,” Discord/Eric replied, an evil grin on his face. “Well, sort of. I’m still me mentally, but physically, I’m your friend. And no, I refuse to give up this body! He makes a good meat shield. You see these scars on his back?” Turning around, Discord let Tory and Rainbow see the large slash marks running along his back, something that enraged the teen. “Those are from slaughtering half of Manehattan. I got the ones on my arm from fighting some weaklings in Fillydelphia, and the ones on my legs are from Royal guards that tried to stop me. This body, while slow, has served a good purpose. Now, the ponies of Equestria will regard humans as spiteful creatures that seem to have an insatiable amount of bloodlust! Your kind are through here Tory!”

“I’m going to make sure your death is slow and painful you BASTARD!!!” Tory shouted, charging at what looked like his old friend.

Discord/Eric jumped up, and kicked off the door behind him. He flew past Tory, and landed on the advancing door. Grabbing his sword, Discord/Eric jumped off of that one, and flew into the air. He stopped himself about halfway up the room, and in the center of it. He hovered there, just standing. He had no wings, yet he stayed afloat. Tory jumped, letting his wings stretch for the first time since he’d come down to the Cloister. He saw a spot of blue at the edge of his vision, and knew what it was.

“Rainbow,” Tory called to her. “Go into the next room, I have to do this alone!”

“As if,” she huffed. “You think I’m gonna let Discord here fight just you? He owes me too, for killing my best friend! You’re not the only one with a grudge Tory!”

He sighed, knowing that Rainbow wouldn’t listen to him. Instead, he decided to work some of his magic, but it wasn’t noticeable, as he didn‘t raise a hand or even make himself look like he was concentrating. He simply built a small, invisible barrier around the blue pegasus, that would deflect weaker attacks. It wouldn’t stop the stronger, slower slashes, but Rainbow would be able to dodge those.

Tory nodded at her, even though he wanted her to turn tail and get out of there. Discord was no laughing matter. If they weren’t careful, one of them could die again, and then Discord would have an easy time killing the other one. Remembering the pain Tory felt at Fluttershy’s death, he let his rage comsume him, all but his brain.

Tory warped behind Discord/Eric without a word or signal, and aimed a slash at his sword arm. The possessed human raised his own sword in defense, stopping the attack without even a budge. The motion was so quick, Tory had barely seen it.

Discord/Eric turned and laughed. He swung his sword, which was a katana instead, and Tory blocked the attack. The impact of metal on metal sent sparks flying into Tory’s face, and he lost his focus for a second. Discord/Eric noticed, and kicked him in the stomach. The action sent Tory flying into a wall.

Tory remembered a skill he’d seen in one of his older games, and tried to think of what it would do. It was a skill called Aura, that made a large, ghost-like version of the user, and they both attacked like normal. The only difficult part was figuring out which version was the real attacker. Tory shrugged, and gave it a whirl anyway. But instead of the normal version, Tory would be applying a few personal touches.

Four gigantic, hazy copies of Tory surrounded Discord/Eric, and swung at him. Discord, naturally tried to block them, but their attacks passed right through him. Then the original Tory flew at him through one of the copies, and struck the possessed human with his sword. The attack connected, leaving a large gash in Discord/Eric’s side. Howling in pain, the demonic being let himself fall to the floor, and began to gasp for air.

As his feet touched the stone, a blue blur came at Discord/Eric from the left, knocking him clean into the wall. He slumped to the floor. Rainbow jumped back a few feet, knowing that he could be faking again. Tory landed beside her, and smiled. Rainbow kept her gaze on Discord/Eric, but she grinned too, knowing that he was looking at her.

“Good punch Rainbow, the last one to ever hit me that hard was Tory, and he had magic enhanced legs at the time.” Discord/Eric said, slowly getting to his feet. He looked up, and his eyes were wild. He still had a smile on his face, the creepy kind, and a few teeth were missing. “But I shouldn’t expect any less from the only true fighter among the Elements of Harmony.”

“Stow it Discord!” Rainbow Dash hissed. “You killed Fluttershy, and we’re going to make you pay!”

“Ugh, what IS it with you two and revenge?!” Discord/Eric said, giving them an upset look. “Every time we talk, it’s ‘you killed Fluttershy’ this, and ‘I’m going to kill you Discord’ that! Get over it! You two sound like a bunch of broken records!”

“Enough talk,” Tory said, putting his sword away, and getting his knives out. “You and me Discord, right now!”

Tory dashed at the demonic being once more, and slashed with his left hand. Discord/Eric stepped to his left, and swept his leg out, tripping Tory. The boy then used some magic to enhance his reflexes and strength, and planted one of his hands firmly on the ground to regain his balance, It worked, and Tory lashed out with his foot, smacking the possessed human in the face.

Rainbow came up behind him, and bucked him straight back to Tory. He pushed off with his hands, and flew over Discord/Eric’s head, making the guy collide with the wall once more. Now getting angry, the demonic being began to glow with a dark energy. Both Tory and Rainbow felt its raw power, and took a step back.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Discord/Eric asked, his original voice taking over more speech now. “Your feeble attacks are barely even hurting me! I can crush you like the insects you truly are! Prepare, to feel my power!”

The dark energy around Discord/Eric began to pulse, and grew stronger still. A gust of wind was beginning to pull Tory and Rainbow towards him, and the human had to grab the pegasus just to keep her back. Their expressions ranged from fear to anger, and the demonic being liked it. He let more of his raw, unrestrained power surge through his body.

Since he had been freed from his stone seal, Doscord had been feeling more and more power return to him. He was still no where near as strong as he could be, and he wouldn’t be for another few weeks, maybe even months. But at the moment, Discord had enough power to level most of Everfree forest. And while Tory could most likely do that as well, it would drain that pitiful human to near nothing, while he would still have something left over to use.

Now starting to see just how powerful the demonic being was, Tory was beginning to fear. Not for his life, but for Rainbow’s life, and every other pony that would feel Discord’s wrath. Gathering his thoughts together, Tory knew he had maybe one chance to stop the bastard.

Tory reached into the deepest recesses of his mind, and called on every ounce of magical power he had. He pulled it forward, and forced it to surface. A warm feeling began to bubble up inside him, it even graced his senses. The sharp scent of pine tickled Tory’s nose, and he felt his body prickle as though he was surrounded by the needle sharp leaves of the tree. He opened his eyes, and found his vision was slightly greener. He raised a hand towards his enemy/friend, and released all of the power within him.

Rainbow Dash could only stare in amazement at Tory. He was litteraly glowing with power! She had been cringing in fear of Discord/Eric’s power when she had smelt the forest around her. It had held her tight, and she had almost thought she was surrounded by the trees. It wasn’t until she saw the green glow around Tory, and felt the gust of pulling her towards him, that she realized he was gathering his power as well.

As Rainbow watched, she saw him raise his hand towards their enemy, and unleashed a sharp smelling hell upon the possessed human. Discord/Eric’s power began to diminish, and soon he was on the floor still gasping for air. She looked at Tory, and found he was in a similar state, Rainbow rushed over to him, but an extended hand from Tory held her back.

He got to his feet, and focused what remaining power he had left into the air around Discord/Eric. A dark green portal appeared beside him, and Tory looked at Rainbow. She nodded, understanding what he wanted. She broke into a sprint, and caught the demonic being off-guard. Rainbow bucked him into the portal, and Tory sealed it closed. He collapsed onto his side, and panted heavily.

“Tory!” Rainbow shouted, galloping over to him. “Are you okay?!”

“I’ll…be fine,” he said weakly. “Just…used up…all of…my power.”

“What did you do?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“I used…most of my energy,” Tory started. “To seal his…Then I…warped him into…another dimension. Right now…he’s…in a desert…on my world.”

“You sealed up all of that power?” Rainbow asked, amazed he had that kind of strength.

“Sort of…” Tory said, getting hid breath back. “Only for a while though…He’ll be back, within a few hours.”

“But, I don’t understand,” she said, realizing something. “Why not just kill him and be done with it?”

“Because, he’s still in my friend’s body.” Tory replied. “I couldn’t kill Discord…without killing Eric.”

Rainbow nodded. After realizing that he wasn’t working for Discord, she figured she understood Tory decently now. He was extremely loyal, like her. He wouldn’t sacrifice the lives of his friends, not even to kill the one that murdered his wife.

Shaking the thoughts away, Rainbow wrapped her arms around Tory, and kissed him passionately. Tory was so tired, he didn’t even return it though. She noticed this, and pushed him back to make him lay down. Expending that much energy had to have been taxing on his body! He didn’t say anything, he just gave her a grateful look.

“I think after that, we can rest for a little bit, don’t you?” Rainbow asked him. Tory simply nodded.

Curling up next to his head, Rainbow gave him one last kiss. Tory smiled, and closed his eyes. Soon, his breathing began to even out, and he fell asleep. Rainbow listened to him, letting the calm, rhythmic sound lull her. She drifted in and out of consciousness for a few seconds, but then she slept too…

I.I.I

Landing it the dust and grit of a really dry and hot place, Discord/Eric rolled on the ground as he came out of the portal. It sealed shut behind him, and the possessed human graoned. He was aching all over, not just from his newest wounds, but from the older ones that he had gotten earlier that day.

Rainbow had kicked him right in the gash Tory had sliced in his side, and that had opened the wound even more. It didn’t help that he was laying in dirt that had gotten into the cut. It worsened the pain, and Discord/Eric managed to get to his feet.

Looking around, he noticed that he was in some sort of desert. Tory had evidently warped him somewhere far away. There were no buildings in sight, which said plenty considering that the whole area was completely flat, and one could see for maybe miles.

Discord/Eric let his rage show, and shouted angrily, cursing Tory and that damnable pegasus. He tried to force his energy into making a portal back to the castle, but nothing happened. Discord/Eric reached deep into his mind, to find that Tory’s energy was blocking him. That little bastard! He sealed off Discord’s magic!

Now trapped in this hellish wasteland, Discord/Eric began to walk in a random direction, hoping that he would come across someone he could rob. It wasn’t long until he saw a dust cloud rising in the distance. Discord/Eric smiled…

I.I.I

Twilight Sparkle, Cory, and the rest of the remaining Elements of Harmony raced through the Everfree forest, heading straight for the castle. She had felt two sudden surges of magical energy, and had feared the worst. The first had sent chills down her spine, and she knew it was Discord. But the second confused her. It had made Twilight feel like it was winter again.

Approaching the castle, Twilight and her friends slowed down. She looked back at them, and they nodded to her. She was the supposed leader of the group, even though nopony had ever said anything about that. They’d all just come to accept her as the one in charge after the Luna event.

She looked at Cory, and he smiled. After yesterday, they’d grown quite close to each other. Now, he gave her courage. Twilight grinned at him, and turned back to the castle. She walked in, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. There weren’t even trails in the dust to show that Tory and Rainbow had been here. Twilight let her mind wander a bit, hoping it would find an answer. Before she could come up with anything though, a strange scent surrounded her. It was rose.

She followed what she believed to be the origin of the scent, and walked down the stairs to the cellar. It stopped in front of a large vat of cider. Pinkie ran over before anyone could get their minds running, and tried to get some from that vat. When nothing came out, she whined. That got Twilight thinking.

“Stand back Pinkie,” Twilight warned, her horn beginning to glow with magic.

She yanked the door of the vat open, and everypony as well as Cory saw that there was a tunnel behind it. Twilight picked up the rose scent again, and broke into a trot. They were close to Tory and Rainbow, Twilight could feel it. She heard the pounding of hooves behind her, and knew that her friends were still following. They weren’t sure what they’d find, but she had a bad feeling about it.

As they approached the first door, they saw a large hole in it. The hole resembled something close to a human. Twilight’s theory was confirmed when Cory walked up to it, and fit it almost perfectly, he was just a bit taller than the hole. Now afraid for Tory’s life, as well as Rainbow’s, she broke into a gallop, and left her friends behind. She dashed past the next room, and her hooves suddenly felt hot. She stopped and saw that the floor was smoking, as though it had been like fire earlier. Another door was on the other side of the room, and Twilight forgot about the floor. She dashed across it, not caring about the pain she felt shoot up her legs.

Galloping past the next door, Twilight found that the walls in this room were really close to her, and she slowed down. She wondered how many rooms they’d have to run through to find their friends. It couldn’t be many, could it?

Twilight turned her head at a sound behind her, and saw her friends and Cory coming up. She didn’t stop though, because when she turned back, she was at the next door. Slowing to a trot, Twilight saw two figures on the floor. Her heart stopped when she saw that one was a human.

“TORY!” Twilight shouted, dashing over there as fast as her legs would carry her. “TORY, RAINBOW DASH!!”

“Ugh,” Tory groaned, pushing himself off the floor with one hand, and holding his head in the other. “Can’t a guy get some sleep without somepony ruining it?”

“Oooohhh,” Rainbow said, getting up and stretching her wings. “What’s with all the noise?”

Twilight stopped as she got to them, confused at the way her friends acted. The others came up more slowly. Tory and Rainbow got to their feet, and looked at their friends in surprise.

“What’re you guys doing here?” Tory asked. “And how’d you manage to get in?”

“You idiot,” Twilight said, letting some of her emotions show. “We thought Discord had killed you! I felt those extremely powerful energies earlier, and we rushed here as fast as we could!”

“Discord?” Rainbow asked, trying to remember. “Oh yeah! He was here all right!”

“Well? Where is he?” Rarity asked, looking around the room for any signs of the demon.

“In a desert somewhere on Earth,” Tory said with a smile.

“H-HOW?!” Twilight exclaimed.

Tory and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, a gleam in their eyes. Twilight saw this, and sat down, still waiting for an explanation. Tory noticed this, and sat down as well. This got everypony else, and Cory, to get down on the floor. He told them how Discord had sent him a dream about him possessing Eric, and how when he woke up, the demon had stopped them from entering the next room.

Tory purposely left out the part where Rainbow thought he killed Fluttershy, as that was something the others didn’t really need to know about. They had to go through her death twice already, why make it even worse?

Rainbow explained how they fought Discord/Eric, and how their attacks didn’t seem to do a thing to the guy. Then Tory told them about how both he and Discord/Eric released all of their magic, and the end result being the possessed human being sent to Earth without his magic.

“It’ll only last for a little while though,” Tory finished. “I figure we have maybe two hours until he gets enough power back to make a portal here.”

“Y-You SEALED Discord’s magic?!” Twilight exclaimed. “YOU were the second source of power I felt?!”

“I guess,” he shrugged.

“It was amazing!” Rainbow said. “Tory just unleashed hell on him, and the guy lost it all. Then he made a portal, and I bucked him through it!”

“Proud o’ ya girl,” Applejack replied, coming up to her and holding out a hoof.

“Learned from the best,” she said, pounding her hoof into the earth pony’s.

“Uh, this is all good and stuff,” Cory interjected. “But maybe we should get moving? We don’t know how much of the Cloister is left, and you say Discord is gonna get back soon?”

“Don’t worry about it Cory,” Tory said with a grin. “This room was the last trial, and Rainbow already completed it.”

“I did?” she asked, confused.

Tory gave her a look that said ‘Don’t say anything careless!’ Rainbow nodded, understanding what the trial was, at least, she thought she did. That vision must have been a test to see how strong their love really was, and Tory had known that. She grinned at him, the sly bastard!

“So, we can get our wish on the other side of that door?” Rarity put in, speaking up once more. “We can bring Fluttershy back?”

“Yeah,” Tory said with a sigh.

Twilight saw this, as did Rainbow. The blue pegasus walked over to him, and put a hoof around his neck, trying to comfort him. They all knew what would happen once Fluttershy came back. That upset them, since they didn’t want to see their friends in pain. Once Tory made his decision, one of the girls would be so crushed.

Twilight decided that maybe she could do something for her friends, and used her magic to pull a quill, some parchment, and ink out of her saddlebag. She had been shopping earlier when she felt the magic surges, and hadn’t returned to her house since. She wrote a note to Princess Celestia, asking if there was something that could be done about this, and used her magic to warp it to her teacher.

“What was that about?” Cory whispered to her, seeing the unicorn do all of that.

Twilight turned him away from the group, and explained what she did. As she finished, another letter appeared, and Twilight read it. A large smile graced her, and she rolled the parchment up, and placed it back in her saddlebag.

She and Cory walked back to the group, who were just sitting there, thinking about how they could solve this dilemma. Twilight wanted to tell them that they didn’t have to worry, but she couldn’t, not yet anyways. She would wait until Fluttershy was back, so she’d only have to explain it once.

“Well,” Twilight started, breaking the silence. “We won’t get anything accomplished by sitting around here. You know what they say, ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ Let’s keep moving.”

Everypony plus the two humans got up. They proceeded to the advancing door, and tried to push it open. It refused to budge. Tory looked at his friend, and nodded. Cory nodded back, and the two of them moved over to the door. Tory cast a simple spell that would buff up his friend, and the two began to work. The door budged a bit, but not enough to get through.

Rainbow put her own strength in beside Tory, and Twilight did the same for Cory. Applejack came in as well, followed by Pinkie Pie. The door moved another inch, but that was it. They all looked back at Rarity, the only one that hadn’t tried to help.

“What?” the white unicorn asked, realizing that all of them were looking at her. “I just got another pony-pedi! Surely you don’t expect me to put my hooved on that cold, hard, dirty, smelly-”

“Rarity!” Twilight shouted, getting angry. “Which is more important, your pedicure, or your friend?!

“…Oh all right!” Rarity huffed.

Adding her strength, though it was pretty weak, everypony as well as the two humans managed to open the stone door enough for them to walk inside single file. As their eyes adjusted to the room, which was darker than all of the others, they all gasped at what they saw.

The room was quite large. It was easily the size of a stadium, to be exact. The only light in the room came from a single shaft in the ceiling about fifty feet above the group. It was completely bare, save for one thing that occupied the center: A large golden statue.

It resembled an alicorn, except that it had a short mane, and it’s tail was split in two. The figure was easily identified as a stallion. He had on spiked armor that covered his torso and legs, which were quite muscled. The base of the statue had an engraved plaque. It read:

Two Tail the Great
Here lies the alicorn of legends, that ended the Thousand Night War.

Simply known as ‘Tails’ during his lifetime, it had been prophesized he would save all of Equestria. Near the end of the War, Tails layed siege to the Griffon Castle, and reclaimed the young Princess Luna from her captors. In the process, he destroyed valuable equipment and intelligence, effectively ending their tyrannical assault.

Unfortunately, Tails took on a full barrage of arrows on his return, protecting the Princess from danger. Some of the bolts managed to pierce his armor, and struck vital wounds. Tails continued to fight until he came back with the Princess, only dying after he was sure she had entered friendly territory.

His was rumored to have loved Princess Luna, and it is believed that she returned the feelings. This Cloister is in honor of the loyalty, devotion, intelligence, and selflessness that he showed during his lifetime towards her. Here, he stands watch, protecting the love of those that should complete the trials.

In loving memory,
Luna.

Tory looked up at the statue, and felt some odd connection with that stallion. It was as though he knew Tails very closely. Stepping closer, Tory could almost feel the energy radiating from the statue. It reminded him of the forest, more particularly, pine trees.

“I see you’ve made it to the end of the Cloister,” came a voice behind the group.

Everypony, Tory, and Cory turned to see a dark alicorn standing there. It was Luna. She walked up to them, a look of grief and loss on her face. She stared into Tory’s eyes, and he thought something flashed in them for a second. He shook his head as Luna turned away. Had he imagined it?

“Princess Luna,” Twilight said, bowing. Everypony plus the two humans mimicked her actions. “Wh-What are you doing here?”

“Please, rise,” the alicorn of night replied. “I’m not here as a princess, but as a friend…To answer your question, I came because I felt that surge of energy earlier. I knew that you ponies, as well as you two humans were in the Cloister, thanks to my sister, so I rushed here as fast as I could.”

“Um, Luna, if I may,” Tory asked. He continued when she nodded. “Were you and Two Tail…?”

“…Yes,” she said. “I was still quite young at the time, and it was shortly after me and Tia defeated Discord, but I believed in me and him. He was always at my side, except for that one night. The griffons had timed their attack for when he was in a meeting, and stole me from my chambers. Tails came to rescue me the next night, and…died during the escape. If not for him, they would’ve used me as a bargaining chip for the War. I was so grief-stricken, I…I went mad. You all know the rest.”

“But, surely we could’ve healed him up!” Twilight protested. “Canterlot has had the best medical magic for centuries!”

“You forget just how old Celestia and I are,” Luna countered calmly. “We are easily a millennia old. During the time of the Thousand Night War, I was only twenty. Canterlot had magic that could’ve healed the wounds Tails received if they had been fresh. But by the time we returned to the castle, they were too deep and had already drained him of his life. He was barely holding on by a thread when we made it to the gates…”

“I don’t understand,” Rainbow said loudly. “Just what were all of you fighting the griffons over back then?”

“Territory, like it always was.” Luna answered, looking at the blue pegasus. “The Griffons and Equestrians have been arguing over certain borders for many generations, even before my sister was born. They still haven’t come to terms, but Celestia has been able to keep them quiet. Yet it’s only a matter of time until something breaks the tension.”

“…Luna,” Tory started. “Something has been bothering me since I entered this room. Every time I look at Tails’ statue, I feel as though I know him. And I feel his energy coming from the statue. That same energy is the one I used when I fought Discord earlier. Just what is going on?”

“…I knew it.” Luna said after a moment of silence. “I knew the moment I saw you, that you weren’t just some human. Tory, you’ve seen the amount of power you possess, am I right? You’ve defeated Discord single-handedly twice now.”

“Well, not really single-handedly,” Tory replied, looking at Rainbow Dash. “If not for her, I might not have been able to send Discord away.”

“He’s just saying that,” Rainbow returned, blushing under the attention. “I didn’t really do anything to help.”

“Regardless,” Luna broke in. “You’ve defeated Discord twice, have you not?” She continued when he nodded. “You have a massive amount of magical potential. I’m sure you’ve noticed that by now. The only known beings in our recorded history to have that level of talent are all alicorns. But now let me ask you this. Have you figured out what your magic represents?”

“What my magic represents?” Tory repeated. “I don’t understand.”

“All ponies capable of magic leave a scent or feeling when they cast magic,” Twilight said. “Usually the traces are too faint to detect, but in certain cases, there is enough to identify details about the caster.”

“You mean when I smelled pine, and felt it brushing against me, that it was a manifestaion of my magic?” Tory asked. Luna nodded. “Is that what my magic represents, pine trees?”

“It is,” the alicorn of night replied. “Almost everypony’s magic is a different color and smell, but there are times when two share similar traits. The first is when twins are born. The second…is when a soul has been brought back to life in another body.”

“I’m not sure I see where this is going,” Tory said backing away. He actually did, but he wasn’t sure about the idea.

“As I thought, you are a TERRIBLE liar,” Luna countered, smiling gently. The gleam was back in her eyes again. “Tory, you know just what I mean. YOU are Two Tails the alicorn!”

Everypony and Cory gasped at this. They all looked at him with something caught between respect and complete surprise. Tory just stood there, uncomfortable with the attention. He shook his head, trying to ignore the possibility that he was once an alicorn.

“But how can that be?” he asked Luna. “If I’m Tails reborn, why am I a human, and why do I not remember my life as him?”

“That is a long story,” Luna said, turning towards the statue. “One that I will tell you of another day. For now, you are all here to bring back your lost friend…and lover, are you not?”

Tory noticed how she hesitated when she said ‘lover’. Did the alicorn still think of him as Tails, and not the human that he was now? He hoped that she had managed to overcome her grief now, centuries later. Things were bad enough with him having to decide between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“..We are,” Tory said with a nod. Luna’s eyes flashed again, and Tory turned away, not feeling comfortable under her stare. “Though I still don’t wish to do this, I know that I must. If I don’t Rainbow will never really be happy, and neither will my friends. This is just one of those parts of life that you have to grind your teeth, and make something work.”

“Well said,” Luna agreed with a nod. Her eyes darkened for a second, and she turned away. “Then step up to the statue and make your wish. If your love is truly strong enough, then Fluttershy will come back to you.”

Tory stepped up the the plaque, and knelt. He clasped his hands together, and began to think of his lost love. He recalled his time with her when she healed him, when they had traveled to Earth, every kiss they shared, and the look in her eyes as she died. A single tear slipped out of Tory’s eye, and he spoke up.

“Please,” Tory began quietly. “Please bring Fluttershy back to me! I wish for her to be alive again! I want to hold her close, to stroke her soft hair, and to be beside her once more! Please!”

The room began to glow brightly. The statue of Two Tail became illuminated, and its golden light shined throughout the room. Tory felt the energy from the statue seep into him, and recharge him to before his last fight.

Soon, the light died down, and everypony plus Tory and Cory looked around. On the ground beside the statue was a small round object that glowed a golden hue. Tory took one look at it, and his eyes began to water up. He ran over, and looked down.

Laying there, curled up, and completely asleep, was the beautiful Fluttershy. Her golden body gave off a soft light, and her pink hair looked as silky smooth as ever. Tory fell to his knees, and reached a hand out to stroke her hair. He pulled it back quickly though, fearing that if he touched her, then Fluttershy would disappear. He just sat there, staring at his first love.

Everypony sniffled at this, even Luna. They came over to Tory, and sat down next to him, showing him that they were there to support him. Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around Tory one last time, holding him close to her. She didn’t want to forget all of the time she spent with him.

Tory turned around, and gave her a loving look. He pulled her in front of him, and gave her a gentle kiss. It still held all of the love he ever showed her, and Rainbow wished she could stay like that forever. But like all good things, it came to an end. Tory looked into her eyes, which showed all of the events they had gone through together. Though it had been only four days, the two had forged a strong bond of love.

Rainbow let her hooves fall to her sides, and moved away. Tory looked hurt, but she knew it was for the best. He nodded, showing his thanks for her, and turned back to the still sleeping Fluttershy. He reached down slowly, and let his hand rest on her head. This time though, she had a different feel.

When she had been a spirit, Fluttershy had felt cold to the touch, and the edges of her form were blurry. Now, she was warm with a new life, and her shape was as definite as Tory’s. He ran his fingers through her soft hair, letting her presence bring him to life. He moved his hand back to her head, and let it fall to his side. Instead, he put his body to the floor, and rested his head beside Fluttershy’s. Her breathing was soft, and she was still as adorable as the first time Tory saw her. Leaning over, Tory kissed her lightly between the eyes.

“…Mmm,” Fluttershy whispered, slowly waking up. She opened her sparkling blue eyes to see her husband right beside him.

“Fluttershy,” Tory said so quietly, it was almost inaudible. “Its…Its so good to have you back.”

“…T-Tory?” She whispered. “Are…Are you dead?”

“No,” Tory chuckled, a gentle smile on his face. “YOU are alive again…And it feels so great so see your beautiful face.”

“…” Fluttershy smiled at him, and leaned over. She kissed him on the lips, and looked into his eyes. “It feels great to wake up to yours.”

They both got up, and hugged. Everypony sighed at this, all save for Rainbow and Luna. The blue pegasus didn’t want to admit it, but she was jealous. Her time with Tory had been short, but it had been oh so sweet. Luna on the other hand, wasn’t thinking about Tory. She was remembering Tails, and the decision he had made before death.

“C’mon,” Tory said, picking up his wife. “Lets go back home.”

“I’d love to,” Fluttershy said softly. “Especially since its with you again.”

Tory blushed at this, and they both laughed. He carried her towards the exit, followed out by his friends. The sun was shining brightly still, and they had all the time in the world to be together again. With Fluttershy by his side again, Tory felt he could do anything. Life was good once more…Life was good.

War on the Horizon

‘War on the Horizon’

Taking the first step onto the cobblestone path that led back to Ponyville, Tory felt his face began to hurt. From the moment he picked Fluttershy up, he couldn’t stop grinning. He had his wife back, and this time, he planned to keep her. Nopony or any mythical creature would separate him from her. Looking down at Fluttershy, still in his arms, Tory couldn’t help but kiss her again.

“T-Tory,” Fluttershy giggled playfully. “Q-quit that! That’s the tenth one since we left the castle!”

“Can you blame me?” he asked her, his smile making the golden pegasus blush. Then he lowered his voice, but he kept the grin. “I have you back Fluttershy, how can I not kiss you?”

She wrapped her hooves around Tory’s neck, and put her head on his chest. She let out a content sigh, and he began to stroke her hair. The wind blew gently, and the sun shone brightly. It was almost as though the forces of the universe understood that today was special, and sent its blessing. The group continued into town.

It didn’t take long for three of the ponies in town to notice them. It was The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rushing over, Tory couldn’t help but laugh at how innocent they were. He was actually a fan of theirs, but of course they had no idea who he was.

“Tory,” Applebloom called out, trotting over and catching him by surprise. So much for not knowing him. “You’re back, yay!”

“…How is it that you three know me?” he asked them, actually interested in what they had to say.

“Cory told us!” Scootaloo said, walking over to the other human. “He’s cool! He told us how you fought Discord single-handedly, and won!”

“What can I say,” Cory asked when Tory looked at him with a gleam in his eyes. “They got me talking, and I couldn’t stop. They wanted a cool story, and well…fighting Discord is pretty big.”

“Oh yeah? What else did you tell these three?”

“Only that you can do ANYTHING!” Sweetie Belle spoke up, looking at him with shining eyes. “Like make all kinds of cool things, and fly, and…”

It was at that moment that she noticed Fluttershy, who simply smiled, her old self forgotten, along with the shyness. The other two Crusaders came over, and cried out in joy, nearly breaking the group’s eardrums. Other ponies nearby heard the commotion and turned to see what was going on. When they noticed Fluttershy, they ran over and began to ask her all sorts of questions.

“Is that really you Fluttershy?” one asked.

“Am I dreaming? If I am, don’t wake me!” another said.

“Oy!” Tory broke in loudly, catching everypony’s attention. “Give her some breathing room, and we’ll explain what happened…That’s better. Now before we begin, let’s go somewhere comfortable, like the fountain. That’s a nice spot to explain things.”

They all walked over to the fountain, attracting more attention. Some ponies on the outside of the group told them what happened, and more began to join them. Soon, a majority of the village was at the town fountain, waiting to hear how Fluttershy came back. Tory managed to get them through the crowd, along with his friends, and they took a seat.

He began by telling them how Rainbow Dash had mysteriously vanished, and that he had tracked her to the Everfree castle. Then Rainbow broke in, taking over from there. She explained that she knew it was the right thing to do, bringing her back. Tory looked at her with slightly hurt eyes, and she turned towards a group behind her to avoid his stare.

She told them how the two had faced all of the trials and fought Discord who had possessed Eric, an old friend of Tory’s. The ponies listened in silence, staring in awe as Rainbow told them of his power, and how he sent the demonic being away.

“I wasn’t really all that good,” Tory broke in.

“He’s just being modest,” Rainbow countered.

The Crusaders came over, tackled him to the ground, and scuffled with him playfully. He pretended to fight back, acting as though he was a monster. Everypony laughed at this. Tory let Scootaloo push him into the water, and in return he splashed her. The four of them played like this for another minute, until Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash pulled the kids off of him.

Fluttershy flew over to Tory, and settled down on his lap. He spawned a towel, and laid it down under her, so she wouldn’t get wet. The Crusaders gasped as he did that. To them, it was like he had just performed the best magic trick. Then Scootaloo walked over.

“Hey Tory,” she began. “How did you get your mark?”

“I don’t think you’ll enjoy that story Scootaloo,” Tory said with a chuckle. “Its kind of emotional, and I know how you are about those kinds of things.”

“But we wanna hear!” Sweetie Belle whined.

“Okay okay!” Tory gave in. “How should I start?”

“How about when you first came to Equestria?” Fluttershy suggested.

Tory nodded, thanking her for the idea. He told them how he wasn’t really from Equestria, or any surrounding regions. He explained that he was from another world, and that Zecora came to him one night with a choice. Obviously, he took it. Then he explained how he came to meet Fluttershy, and how they had spent so much time together. It took Tory about an hour to tell them his story, leading up to when they came back from Earth, and he received his mark when he swore to himself that he’d spend his life protecting her.

The crusaders just listened in silence, even Scootaloo. The orange pegasus took the most interest in the fight with Aaron, and listened intently after that. When he finished, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom sighed happily, enjoying the story.

“I liked the part where you knocked that one guy around without even trying!” Scootaloo said. “Can you teach me those moves you used?”

“Maybe one day,” Tory told her. “But for now, I’d like to spend the day with my friends, and Fluttershy.”

Tory kissed her once more, and the crowd sighed in pleasure. It was great to see them back together again. The ponies began to break apart, going to find their own friends, and talk about the great news with them. Twilight and Cory walked away, knowing that the two lovers would want to be alone. They had their own plans too…nothing like that though!

Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack took the Cutie Mark Crusaders away to play, and Rainbow followed slowly. She cast one last look at Tory, and flew off. He saw what her eyes held: lost love. There was no way things could be the same between them. He sighed once, and shook his head. It was truly heart breaking, but she was the one that had decided to end things. Tory was grateful for that, but he still loved her.

Turning back to Fluttershy, he picked her up, and spread his silver wings. They sparkled in the sunlight, and he kicked off the ground. He soared up to a soft, white cloud, and set Fluttershy down. He pulled another over, and pushed the two pieces together, making a cloud big enough for the two of them.

“When did you get wings?” his lover asked playfully. “Have you been breaking all the natural laws of the universe Tory?”

“No,” he said in a joking defensive tone. “Just the one…two…three…Okay, I broke a good amount of them, but I always put things back to the way they were before. If I summoned something, I dispelled it soon after.”

“I’m just teasing Tory,” Fluttershy laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re like that!”

“Hehehe, not as much as you though.”

The two of them talked on the cloud for a good number of hours, just enjoying their time with the other. They both had some catching up to do, even though Fluttershy had been watching Tory a good amount of the time. The sun was setting when they had realized that they had pretty much spent the entire afternnon talking. Getting up, Tory stretched his wings once more. Fluttershy got up herself, and the two of them flew back to her cottage.

“Home sweet home,” Fluttershy said, opening the door.

Angel bunny came running up to her, and hugged her tightly. She patted him on the head, and called out all of her friends that she hadn’t seen in forever. They crowded around her, the birds sang, and the small creatures jumped on her lovingly.

Tory had forgotten that she kept so many animals in her home. How had they managed to maintain this level of health while she was gone? Looking around, he found a note on the table. The handwriting was quite neat, and it made Tory smile.

I knew you’d bring her back. I’m glad that you two can stay together.
I took the liberty of caring for Angel and them while you were gone.
Your welcome,
Spike.

Tory put the note down, and came over to his wife. Angel hopped over to him and kicked his shin. Tory didn’t really feel it, but he still had a heart, so he pretended to fall over, and Angel proceeded to jump on him. He squeaked out something, which Tory had never heard him make any noise at all. Working his magic, Tory tuned his ears to understand rabbit. How he managed to succeed, even he is unsure.

“You jerk! Why did you keep her away?!” the bunny yelled at him. “That purple thing was terrible! He didn’t understand what we needed at all! Next time you take Fluttershy away, give us some warning!”

“Okay Angel, I’m sorry.” Tory apologized. “I’ll make sure to do that if it ever happens again.”

Looking pleased, the bunny hopped off of him, and extended a paw. Tory took it in two fingers, and shook it gently. They got up, and walked over to the futon, where Fluttershy had been watching them. As they sat down, Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around Tory, and kissed him on the cheek.

“What a day,” she said. “I think I need to sleep for a week.”

“Oy, don’t make those kinds of threats!” Tory replied. “We don’t want that.”

“Okay, I won’t.” Fluttershy promised in between laughs. “C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

The two lovers walked up to the master bedroom, and crawled under the covers. They cuddled together, and relaxed in each other’s embrace. They slept peacefully that night. It had been one of the best days that Tory had ever experienced…

I.I.I

The next day had been interesting, to say the least. When Fluttershy woke up, she heard a soft sound coming from the back yard. Getting up, she walked over to the window, and saw Tory playing his guitar once more. She opened the window, listening as he sang with the tune. It was the song he had written for her. It sounded just as beautiful to her as the first day she heard it.

When he finished, she glided out of the window over to Tory, and wrapped her hooves around the back of his neck. He looked around, and smiled. He reached behind his head, and tried to grab her, but she moved playfully out of his reach.

“Hey no fair,” Tory complained jokingly. “I can’t reach right there!”

“Oh well,” Fluttershy said teasingly. “I guess you’ll never get my gift to you.”

“But you already gave it to me,” Tory smiled. “You give it to me every time I see your smile.”

She blushed, and he picked that moment to suddenly turn around and hug Fluttershy. She snuggled into his chest, and looked up at him. Her blue eyes showed all of her love for him. Tory looked into them, wishing he could spend forever like that.

“Hiya guys!” came a bubbly voice behind them. Pinkie walked up with Derpy. “What’s going on?”

The two lovers looked at Pinkie with a smile, and then Derpy saw Tory. She flew over to him, and tackled him to the ground, rubbing her head against his chest. Fluttershy huffed in a jealous tone, and Tory laughed at this. Her JEALOUS?

“Hi Derpy, it’s good to see you again,” he said, getting up. “What brings you out here?”

Derpy just looked at him with those amber eyes. She tilted her head in an adorable way, and Tory couldn’t help but smile at how innocent she was. It was like having a second Fluttershy in front of him, just one that was more random.

“Th-Thank you…Tory,” came a soft voice. He stared at Derpy like she had just become an alicorn. The same could be said of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. “I’m glad…you came here.”

“Whoa…Derpy, you talked!” Tory said in surprise. “That’s amazing!”

“I…Well,” the gray-ish pegasus stammered. “I d-don’t really t-talk much because I’m…really nervous around others…Th-they always made fun of me…But not you! Tory, y-you were so n-nice to me…I was sad wh-when you went away…”

“R-Really?” he asked. “Thanks. I know ponies tend to make fun of you, but that day when we walked to the Everfree forest, I knew that you were nice. It was thanks to you that Fluttershy and Pinkie caught me, and we managed to get together. Thanks for that.”

Derpy blushed, and Tory laughed kindly. Fluttershy began to giggle, and soon Pinkie joined in. The gray-ish pegasus flew off of him, and landed beside Fluttershy. The two exchanged a friendly look, and Tory knew that something…different had passed between them. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and decided to keep things moving.

“I’m glad that we can all be here, in Equestria.” he said. “It’s great being with all of you…But it makes me sad that the others from Earth can’t seem to understand how awesome you girls are.”

“Do you miss them Tory?” Fluttershy asked. “Should we go back again?”

“…I don’t know,” Tory started. “After what happened last time, I think maybe I should just stay here. If I go back, then I gotta explain that note I left, and I’ll have to go back to school…”

“Well this time, you’ve got us!” Pinkie said. “What could go wrong?”

“…Crap!” Tory shouted.

“What’s wrong?” Derpy asked.

“I don’t have a choice now!” he began. “Why Pinkie, why did you have to use that phrase? Now I have to go back AND deal with some unfortunate event!”

“What do you mean Tory?” Fluttershy asked.

“Back on Earth, anyone that used the phrase ‘What could go wrong’ always had something bad happen to them. It’s like a bad luck charm!” he explained. “It’s inevitable!”

Fluttershy flew over to him, and wrapped her hooves around his neck. Tory smiled, and hugged her back. Derpy and Pinkie joined in, making them all collapse on the ground. They laughed for a few seconds before Fluttershy spoke again.

“Well, if it happens, it happens,” she said. “If anything goes wrong, we can still escape back here.”

“…True.” Tory agreed after adopting his thinking pose for a second. “I hadn’t thought about it like that. I guess we can go then.”

“Then we should get over to Zecora’s hut right now! Let‘s go let‘s go let‘s go!!!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping in the air excitedly.

“Why?” he asked. “Don’t you remember? I can make portals too. I sent Discord to one of the deserts that occupy my world.”

“Oh,” Pinkie said, putting a hoof to her lip in a thinking pose. “Then we should get ALL of the ponies to join us! I’ll go grab everypony!”

“Wait Pinkie, I can’t-” Tory started, but the pink earth pony was already galloping away. He sighed in defeat, and turned back to his friends. “I guess we’ll have to wait for them then.”

He sat down on the warm grass, and looked at his two friends that were still with him. Fluttershy and Derpy came over, and sat beside him, his lover on his right side, and his friend on his left. He stroked Fluttershy’s hair softly, and ruffled Derpy’s playfully. They just sat there and talked until the rest of the group came back.

“So Derpy, is that your real name?” Tory asked her randomly.

“N-No, not really,” the gray-ish pegasus replied. “My original name is Ditzy Doo, b-but after I crashed into a tree one day, m-my eyes changed. First, one pony started calling me Derpy when I tried to adjust and crashed into all sorts of things, and then others did it, and now…”

“I see,” he said, nodding solemnly. Then he snapped his fingers, and looked at her. “If you want, I can try to fix that up for you?”

“C-Can you?” Ditzy asked, a hopeful expression on her face.

“Worth a try,” he told her. “Relax, lay down, and close your eyes.”

Ditzy did as he instructed, and closed her eyes. Tory rubbed his palms together to warm them up, and brought them over the pegasus’ head. He concentrated on the concpet of her eyes returning to their original line of sight. Ditzy moaned in pain as her eyes tried to follow the magic, but she didn’t move. Tory felt the sweat beginning to dot his forehead, but he didn’t remove his hands. He kept the magic running, and squinted when a drop began to run down his face.

Fluttershy noticed this, and wiped off his forehead slowly. He smiled, but didn’t turn away. Tory had to keep his thoughts on reforming Ditzy’s eyes, or he could very well injure the gray-ish pegasus permanently…again. His energy was draining fast, and he wasn’t sure how well he was doing. He forced out a little more, and let his power fade.

Tory fell back, and sighed exhaustedly. Ditzy struggled to her hooves, and opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly, as her pupils readjusted. It looked like Tory had succeeded for a minute, but then her left eye drifted off a bit. It wasn’t as much as it used to be, but it still meant failure.

“Dang it!” Tory said. “I guess I either don’t have enough power yet, or I don’t know enough about the anatomy of ponies and their eyes yet. Honestly, I’m thinking it’s the second one. But I‘m sorry Ditzy, I tried.”

“It’s okay Tory,” she replied with a smile. “I can see a bit clearer now though.”

“…Hey, I just noticed something.” he said suddenly. “Ditzy, your not really mentally challenged are you?”

“N-No,” the pegasus told them. “I wanted everypony to think that…so they wouldn’t bug me about my eyes.”

“It’s okay Ditzy,” Fluttershy said, putting a hoof on her. “They won’t bother you about it now that you’re our friend.”

Tory nodded, and smiled at them. Before he could speak though, Pinkie came bounding back with the rest of the group, Grace, Big Macintosh, Luna, and Celestia behind her. He could only gap at how she managed to convince both of the princesses to come along. Tory wondered if he would be able to keep their secret if they came along.

The moment all of them arrived on Earth, most of these ponies would be humans like Fluttershy had been that one time. Tory had spend many hours trying to figure out why that happened. His only conclusion was that something must’ve mixed with her body and caused a strange reaction that altered her form. His initial theory was that she had breathed in a certain chemical the air contained, and since it was not found in Equestria, Fluttershy’s body rapidly adapted to it, making her a human, save for the wings…Which reminded Tory of something…

“Um, Rarity,” Tory asked the white unicorn. “Is there any chance we can get a massive order in before we head out? When we get there…well you girls won’t have any clothing and…”

“Oh my!” Rarity exclaimed. “You are absolutely right! I must prepare something for all of us!” She turned to Grace, and motioned for her to follow. “I’d best get started on that right away!”

“Um, don’t forget hats for every pony with a horn…That’s four hats.” Tory called out to her. She signaled that she heard, and left with Grace. “Since we have clothing settled, I guess we need to go over all the details. Let’s start with basics, living arrangements.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“I can’t put all of you ponies up in my room. I don’t have that much space.” Tory said. “I don’t have any guest rooms, and none of you can really sleep with my dad or brother…ugh.” He felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought. “My brother has a tent that I can put you in, but I still don’t think it’d be large enough for all of you. At most, it could probably fit eight of you ponies.”

“But there are thirteen of us, including you, Grace, and Cory,” Rainbow put in.

“Well,” Tory started, getting into his thinking pose. “What if Cory and Grace take one to their place? That would take care of four right there. And naturally, two would able to stay in my room…That would leave seven left over for the tent. Perfect!”

“But who should Cory and Grace take?” Twilight asked, blushing this time. “I don’t really know if it’d be wise for me to stay at his. The same for Grace and Big Macintosh…”

“Heheheh,” Tory laughed gently. “Good point…What if Cory takes Big Macintosh, and Grace takes whoever? That way, all uncomfortable incidents are left behind.”

“I could see that working,” Celestia said, speaking for the first time. Then a teasing gleam appeared in her eyes. “But what about you and Fluttershy? Do you two plan on sharing a room?”

He blushed, as did Fluttershy. Everypony began to laugh, but in a good way. Tory looked at Rainbow, and saw she wasn’t though. She turned away, and Tory felt sad. He still loved her, but now… Things were different. Feelings remained, but the situation wasn‘t the same.

“Tory” came the small voice of Scootaloo beside him. He looked down and saw that the Crusaders were beside him. They looked at him with those stereotypical puppy eyes that kids used to get what they want. “Can we come too? We promise to not be a bother.”

“Sorry Scoots,” Tory said, unfazed by the look. He got down on one knee so he was eye level with the small pegasus. “I wouldn’t be able to keep you out of trouble since you’re all to young to go to high school….Now that I think about it, Celestia and Luna might not be able to as well, since they’re fully grown.”

“I think me and Luna will be alright on our own,” Celestia said, her sister nodding. “We just have to avoid attracting attention.”

“…Okay then,” Tory said, accepting this. “Me, Twilight, and Fluttershy will go over the rest of the details together. I guess all of you should go prepare a few things to take along, since it’ll be a little while until Rarity finishes those clothes.”

The group broke up, and went their separate ways. Tory saw Rainbow Dash fly off in a rush, and sighed once more. He wanted to talk to her, to say that at least they could be friends. But she always rushed away from him now. Her actions were understandable, but that didn’t mean Tory had to like them. Twilight snapped him out of his musings when she spoke up.

“So, what else is there to worry about?” she asked.

“Public appearance mostly,” Tory explained simply, shaking his head back into reality. “Last time, Fluttershy walked around the school with me, and we kind of drew attention to ourselves. If all of us stick together, for every class, people are gonna start wondering what’s going on.”

“So we should split up?” Fluttershy questioned beside him. “Won’t we all get lost?”

“Not if we separate into groups of three,” Tory told her. “I’m still working out some of the details, but what if Grace, Cory and I take three ponies around each? We’d still draw attention, but not as much as a large group of seven or more.”

“I see where you’re going.” Twilight said. “Then we should get to work on that.”

It took them merely ten minutes to work out what groups would be good. After that, Twilight left and Tory started packing some things. After his return trip, he didn’t really have much left. All he really had was his guitar and whatever he carried with him. It took him all of three minutes to pack up. He chose to load up his backpack with whatever he could make. It ended up carrying a bunch of clothing similar to what Rarity made him.

Now reminded of that, Tory looked at his clothes to see they were completely filthy. He hadn’t had a shower since he’d been back. In fact, Tory’s last shower had been before he left Earth the last time. He estimated that added up to about eleven Equestria days. If his guessing skills were right, then he’d only been gone about a week in Earth time. It seemed like his old world moved at a slightly slower rate, about two thirds of an Equestrian day.

Grabbing a towel, Tory went upstairs to clean up. It wouldn’t do to smell like a pig when he went back. What would his dad think if he did?..Which reminded him that he still had to figure out how to explain the note and why he left.

Turning on the shower, Tory thought about his options. He could tell the truth, but how in the name of Celestia would they believe him? He could lie, but as Luna said yesterday, he was a terrible liar. He could try to ignore the question, but then they’d pester him about it until it came time to leave.

Sighing once, Tory let the hot water run down him. It felt good to brush off all the muck and grime he’d collected over the past week and a half. He let his mind drift around, eventually coming to Rainbow Dash.

Why were things always difficult for him? Yeah, he loved Fluttershy so much, but during the time she was gone, Rainbow had tried to and successfully filled the void. His first love had even said she wanted this. Now that she was back, Rainbow had been dodging him like he had some sort of contagious disease. Tory just couldn’t understand why there always had to be good and bad things at the same time.

“Because it’s the law,” Tory whispered to himself, thinking back to one of his other anime shows. “The Law of Equivalent Exchange states that in order to change one thing, something of equal value must be given…Yeah, that sounds right. My love of Fluttershy, for my love of Rainbow Dash. How detestable!”

Tory slammed his hand into the wall, and let his anger seep out. It wasn’t fair, no matter what was said, or how he looked at it! Things just always seemed to nip him in the bud, and take the fun out of everything! Life had it’s good moments, that was true, but how can one enjoy them when he knows that another must suffer for it?

Turning off the water, he stepped out and began to dry off. Tory wasn’t going to let this get to him. He was going to make things work out, even if he had to put in all of his time! It would suck in the short run, but the long one was what really mattered. If he did things right, he could make both of the girls he loved happy, and he’d finally he happy. Tory smiled at this. He had no idea what he would do, but he knew that a chance would present itself soon. It always did in the MLP show, so it should work for him, right?…Right?

Putting on a clean pair of light blue pants and another silver shirt, Tory opened the door into the hallway to find Fluttershy waiting for him. She held a small breakfast on her hooves, and Tory smiled at her. He walked down the stairs beside her, and sat down on the futon. Handing him the plate, Fluttershy flew back into the kitchen.

Tory dug in right away, starting with the eggs. He had to admit, Fluttershy was a great cook. Maybe he should learn how she does it so he could do something nice for her one day after everything was settled? It wouldn’t be right to rely on her for everything like food and lodging. Tory had to haul his own weight around Ponyville, and the best way to do that was learning something practical, or at least getting a job that earned a steady pay. If he could manage that, then he’d be set.

Finishing up the eggs, Tory turned towards the kitchen to clean up his mess. That was something he had a talent for actually. He had decent organization skills, and was able to clean up pretty well. The only reason he didn’t was because he was lazy as hell, but since he came to Equestria, Tory had definitely become more active. He could always help around the cottage when he wasn’t working. You know, take care of things when Fluttershy was out making her rounds to the animals that had homes.

“Tory, can you help me with something?” Fluttershy called from the kitchen closet. “I need a hand with this large bag of feed.”

“No problem,” he said, coming over. He placed one hand under the bag and another around it. He hauled it up onto his shoulder, and carried it outside, where Fluttershy asked him to drop it. Dusting off his hands, Tory smiled at his wife, and she smiled back. At least he could help her with a few things.

Shaking his heads clear of these busy thoughts, Tory looked up at the sky, where it was a bright and beautiful day out. He smiled and felt the urge to just fly about and forget his worries. Is this what Rainbow felt whenever she flew about the skies? Tory turned to Fluttershy, and grinned.

“Hey Beautiful, wanna go for a fly around the town?” Tory asked, calling out to his lover. “It seems too good a day to not go flying, and we won’t get a chance once we’re on Earth.”

“Sure,” Fluttershy said, blushing at the nickname. She spread her golden wings, and took of into the sky.

Tory couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. She was so different now than she had been when he first met her. It was almost like her personality had pulled a 360*! The only thing that hadn’t changed was her voice, her beautiful soft voice. Tory knew how lucky he was when he could wake up every morning to that. And those gorgeous blue eyes of hers! Oh Celestia, he was truly blessed! He was willing to put up with any problems, so long as he had Fluttershy beside him.

Spreading his silver wings, Tory jumped into the air after her. As he ascended, he lost sight of his beloved. Looking around, he couldn’t find her, and wondered where she had managed to sneak off to. He was about to fly straight to town when he heard a gentle giggling behind him. Turning around, Tory saw a bit of pink sticking out of a cloud. He smirked, and flew around it as quietly as he could.

Fluttershy was just hovering behind the cloud, waiting to catch Tory by surprise. It would’ve been funny to see his face when she scared him. Too bad she forgot to hide a bit of her mane, and that had given her away…

Tory creeped up to her, and slowly wrapped his arms around Fluttershy without touching her. As he came within reach of her neck, he accidentally brushed her mane, and she jumped backwards into him. The action caused him to be pushed back, but not before he managed to lock his arms around Fluttershy. Tory hugged her to him, and she realized that it was just her lover. She leaned into him, and let his fresh scent of pine surround her. It was intense, but inviting at the same time.

Tory felt Fluttershy’s mane tickle his nose, and breathed her in. She smelled like rose, so beautiful and amazing. It was a flower that held so much grace, charm, and capability. The most gorgeous of roses still had sharp thorns, and that could also be said of the golden pegasus. She was always calm, peaceful, and kind, but she could get serious and dangerous if the need arised. Fluttershy was the most amazing pony Tory had ever known. She was just too damn adorable and lovable!

Fluttershy thought the same thing about Tory. He was always so kind to others, and held to his beliefs firmly. He always had this smile on his face that made others brighten up, and she found it irresistible. He truly was like a pine tree. He was strong, and never gave in. He brought joy to others, like the tree during the holidays. And he just had that kind of personality that made you know there was something deeper to him, you just wasn’t sure what it was.

“Tried to be sneaky, did you?” Tory teased playfully.

“Hehehe, you tried too,” she said in her honey sweet voice.

“That I did,” he admitted. “Heheheh.”

“..It’s so beautiful up here,“ Fluttershy said after a few seconds.

Indeed it was. The sun was still rising in the sky, creating a stunning horizon in front of them. The clouds looked golden in the light, and the blue of the sky blended with the orange red, making a soft color that was pleasing to the eyes. It truly was a beautiful morning. Tory looked down at Fluttershy, and saw how her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He ran his fingers through her soft mane, and she giggled.

She loved how he did that. It felt great to her. It was better than any spa treatment she had ever received. Tory’s hands were so gentle, and brushed her hair like she was a princess. Hell, Fluttershy bet even Celestia didn’t get this kind of treatment! There was something about the way lovers treated each other that not even the best groomers could copy.

“Fluttershy, I’ve never been so happy to be beside you,” Tory whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Let’s pray you never find out,” she said with a smile. She turned around and kissed him on the cheek. “Bet you can’t catch me!”

“Oh yeah?” he asked. “That sounds like a challenge.”

Before he even finished, Fluttershy was already flying away. Tory knew he could catch her with ease, but half of the fun was the chase, so he let her build up a bit of speed. He aimed himself at her, and glided along at a semi-fast pace. It was enough to make her think he was chasing, but still keep himself at a controlled speed. Fluttershy looked back at him, and winked playfully.

Tory was wondering what she was planning when she flew into a mass of clouds. He smiled as he saw what she was doing. He stopped as he approached them, and crossed his arms in faux defeat. He shook his head and turned around.

“Oh no,” he said in an obviously fake tone. “She’s gone into the clouds where I cannot see her. I hope she doesn’t come out the way we entered!”

Tory hid behind another cloud on the side, and waited patiently. Sure enough, Fluttershy came back through the same path, and he jumped out to catch her. She had been expecting it though, and put on a burst of speed that made Tory wonder if she was a secret Wonderbolt in training.

The two played ‘hard to get’ for a good hour before Fluttershy ran out of energy, and collapsed on a cloud. Tory landed next to her with a thump, and kissed her between the eyes. She used a wing to tickle him in the neck, causing him to bust out laughing.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before he ran out of breath, and he was begging Fluttershy to stop. As he tried to catch his breath, Fluttershy giggled at how cute he could be sometimes. Her laughter made Tory smile harder, and he couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Oh, it feels good to laugh like this!” Tory said.

“This is too much fun,” Fluttershy agreed in between gasps for breath.

“Well, it looks like the two of you are having a good time,” came an majestic voice behind them. “Mind if I join in?”

The lovers turned at the sound of the voice, to see Celestia behind them. They lowered their heads in respect, since they couldn’t bow while laying on a cloud. She held out a hoof for them to stop, signaling that she wasn’t here to be formal.

“What brings you to our cozy little cloud,” Tory joked. “It can’t be the new furniture we put in, can it?”

“Heheheh, no,” Celestia returned with a smile. “I came to see how well you two are getting along.”

“It’s been so much fun Princess!” Fluttershy put in, bouncing a bit to show how happy she was. “I can’t believe what I missed out on!”

“I’m glad to hear that,” the Princess said. Her expression darkened, and she looked at the two of them seriously. “ But I’m afraid things are not going to be pleasant all the time. Unfortunately, war is almost upon us…Tory, I think you’ll want to hear this.”

Celestia’s horn glowed brightly, and all three of them were teleported over to Canterlot. As his eyes adjusted, Tory saw that they were in the throne room, with the other ponies beside him. Even Rarity was there, which meant it must be important. Very few things could drag Rarity away from her work when she felt it was important. Taking her seat beside her sister, Celestia looked at the group before her.

“As I’ve said to all of you,” she began. “We are on the brink of war. Not only do we have issues with Discord, and whatever problems he causes, all of Equestria is being threatened by the Griffons. They have become exceedingly bold as of late, and are attempting to seize more of our land with each passing day. It is almost as though they know we are struggling with our old enemy…”

“What are you suggesting Princess?” Twilight asked.

“She is trying to say that we need a plan.” Luna explained. “If we do not halt all advancing forces, there may not be an Equestria when the Griffons finish. They will take each piece of land we possess, and use it against us to claim even more.”

“What have you tried so far,” Tory questioned.

Having spent so much of his life playing video games and watching TV, Tory had a wealth of knowledge in certain areas. It just so happened that one of them involved tactics, and predicting the movements of opponents. He’d played many war and strategy games, so he was easily able to formulate plans to halt, counter, and defeat many forces. It could be said that Tory was a decent strategist. Not a great one, but one that could get the job done. All he needed was an update on all movements, an understanding of resources available, and Tory could bring about a plan that would give Equestria a much needed boost in morale and strength.

“We’ve set up border patrols, placed scouts and others at certain points to intercept messages, and attempted to make peace so far.” Celestia told him. “So far nothing has worked.”

“Not surprising,” Tory said, crossing his arms. “With what you’ve said, it sounds like you’re barely trying, and almost like you don’t care. Border patrols? The Griffons could sneak over during the night, and take out your troops with ease under the cover of dark. That alone lowers the number of troops you have, and cuts morale by a good margin. Scouts? Even if they could manage to warn your troops, it would only give them a bit of a heads up, and the Griffons would swarm them before they were completely ready. You might be able to do a bit more damage, but it wouldn‘t be enough to make the enemy back off.”

“You sound as though you’ve been in a war before,” Luna commented.

“Not a real one, but I’ve done a bit of war games in my time,” Tory told her calmly. “I know many strategies that could help in many situations. Would you like my advice?”

The two sisters nodded at him, and Tory asked to see where they held their war meetings. Leading him to a side room, he was not surprised to see the six war generals arguing over what their next move should be. Tory sighed once, and walked up to the table.

“Um, can we help you?” one of them asked, noticing him. It was a black earth pony, one of two in the room.

“I’m just here to see what things look like right now,” Tory said. “By the looks of things, it seems that the Griffons are almost ready to make a final rush at us.”

“…And how is it that you would know this, Mr…?” the earth pony asked, trailing off.

“His name is Tory,” Luna said. “He is the human that is prophesized to end the war.”

The generals, all six of them gasped at this, and began to whisper to each other. Tory ignored their stares, and looked at the map that was laid upon the large table. In the center looked to be what he thought was the Equestrian troops, their positions marked with white flags. The entire northern front held a large row of black flags, which must indicate the Griffon militia.

“Looking at this formation,” Tory started, pointing at the collection of black flags. “They have us outnumbered and have our foreign connections around them cut off…Look at this. See this small group of Griffon troops near the Eastern border? It looks like there is a small pass through the mountains where they could slip around us. Do you have any soldiers stationed near there?”

“Just a couple of unicorns,” one of the unicorn generals explained. She was a light gray with spots of white on her shoulders. “They’re fresh recruits, and we felt they needed to keep away from the battles.”

“Not good,” Tory said quietly, shaking his head. “By putting them there, you’ve invited attack, and given the enemy a tactical advantage. They could easily overpower those recruits, and get around the main army. Then the Griffon troops on the front could attack, and we’d be completely focused on them. The smaller group that snuck around could attack us from behind, and we’d be caught.”

“Oh no,” the other unicorn general spoke up. This one was white with brown spots on her back. “We need to send more veteran troops over right away!”

“Wait, not yet,” Tory said, holding up a hand to stop her. “You can’t just move troops from the front lines to the side. If you do that, then you’ll alert the enemy and they’ll take countermeasures. Our best bet would be to try and ambush them with those few troops already stationed at the pass. What equipment do you have against the Griffons?”

“Simple things,’ the first earth pony told him. “Mostly nets and large projectiles to knock them from the sky. Our catapults have managed to take many of those cursed beasts from the clouds.”

“Hmmm,” Tory started, getting into his thinking pose. “If they’re adequately equipped, and are informed that the enemy might try to get past using that area, an ambush could work. But there are still a few factors left out…Here, at this little break in their ranks!”

Tory pointed to a small gap between the Griffon troops near the Western border. There was a large river that ran between them, which if used just right, could sneak a few Equestrian troops right past.

“If we take a small cell of advanced troops,” Tory started. “We could send them to destroy enemy supplies, and assist in a counterattack. It’d have to be only a few ponies though. Most likely, the Griffons have taken into account how much space is between their soldiers. Our troops could really cause some damage if they do good enough though.”

“I’ll get a team out on that,” a pegasus general said. He was purple, with a white mane and tail. “How many should we send?”

“No more than five,” Tory told him. “We can’t spare too many troops, or spread them too thin. We’d be inviting more attack that way. Send only the best on this mission. They have to be able to keep out of the way, and able to escape easily if their cover is blown.”

Celestia and Luna looked at each other in surprise. This was a side of the human boy they’d never seen before. He had changed into one that almost frightened them. Tory turned to them, and motioned that he would need some time to focus on this.

“Maybe we should just step out,” Twilight suggested, seeing his look as well. “We don’t want to be in the way…”

“Um, hold on a second,” Tory said, stopping his friends. “I’ve got an idea! Twilight, what if you were to head to the Eastern pass to supervise? If I give Cory a bit of a boost, and sent you two together, do you think you would be able to organize, and ambush the Griffons successfully?”

“Do you really think that is wise?” the white unicorn general asked. “What if something with Discord occurs while she is gone?”

“Nothing will happen,” Tory reassured her. “He’s still too weak from our last encounter. If anything, he’ll be recovering from his injuries.”

“I guess I could take over there,” Twilight said nervously. Cory placed an arm on her shoulder, and smiled at her. “…I mean, yes! I can get the job done!”

“Great!” Tory said, clasping his hands together. “Then you two had best get some sleep. I intend to teleport you there at the first sight of dawn!”

“What ‘bout us?” Applejack asked. “What should we do?”

“Applejack, I need you and Rarity to head back to Ponyville, and keep doing what you were.” Tory told her. “We still have to prepare for Discord, and the more time we take for that, the better we can do against him.”

The orange earth pony nodded, and left with her unicorn friend. Twilight looked at Cory, and the two also left. The only ones remaining in the room now were Tory, Grace, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh, Celestia, Luna, and the six generals.

Looking at each of them in turn, Tory had to think of what would be best for each thing at the moment. Obviously, the princesses couldn’t leave, and neither could the generals. Grace didn’t have any fighting potential whatsoever, so she was out too. Which meant that Bic Mac was also unavailable, since he wouldn’t go without Grace. That left him, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie.

“Hmmm,” Tory started. “If we had just one more member, I could lead the cell across enemy lines…Princess Luna, you’ve got an eye for capable ponies, right? Do you know of a good pony that could help round out the team? It doesn’t matter who they are, so long as they can follow orders, and are skilled at what they do.”

“It just so happens that I DO know of a unicorn that would be perfect for the job,” Luna said with a smile. “Oh, I think you’ll quite enjoy having her along. She is an interesting one!”

“Well then, I’d love to meet her,” Tory replied, stepping closer to Fluttershy. He had a strange feeling at the moment. “Where would she be right now?”

“Oh Fanta-a-a-asia-a-a-a!” Luna called out loudly with a grin. “Where a-a-a-are you-u-u-u?!”

“F-Fantasia?” Rainbow asked. “Who’s that?”

As if on cue, a large cloud of purple smoke burst from the ground beside Princess Luna. As it dissipated, Tory saw a small unicorn within. Her body was a soft white, much like Rarity’s. Her mane and tail were light purple, with darker streaks running between every few strands. Her eyes were a bright blue, much like Fluttershy’s, but not as gorgeous. She wore a pearl necklace that shined faintly. On her flank was a castle held aloft by a large cloud. There were strange tribal marks under her eyes. They looked cute. Still, nothing compared to Fluttershy!

“You called Teacher?” the unicorn asked.

“Yes I did,” Luna said wih a gentle smile. She pointed a hoof at Tory. “Meet Tory and his friends. They’re-”

“They’re the ones that beat up Discord!” the pony exclaimed, cutting off the princess. She noticed what she did a second later, and became embarrassed. “I’m…sorry Princess. I just…got excited.”

“It’s okay Fantasia,” Luna told her calmly. She turned back to the group. “Tory, this is my apprentice, Fantasia. I’ve been training her for a few weeks now, and I’ve noticed her talent. I think she’d be perfect for your little mission.”

“It’s not so little really,” Tory countered. “If this goes according to plan, we could severely cripple the Griffon army. That would pave the way for Celestia and yourself to stop this war.”

He walked up to the small unicorn, and held out a hand. She backed away for a second, a slight blush on her face. Tory smiled at her, and Luna gave her a slight push. With a trembling hoof, Fantasia reached out, and began to shake his hand. When Tory let go, she retracted her hoof quickly, and took a step back.

“I’m s-sorry,” Fantasia apologized. “I-I-I get r-really n-nervous around certain p-ponies.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tory said with a smile. “Fluttershy was the same way around me when I first met her. Isn’t that right, Beautiful?”

“Y-yes,” Fluttershy said, still blushing at the nickname. “It took us a few days to get comfortable around each other…”

“She’s still so adorable,” Tory whispered into Fantasia’s ear. The golden pegasus blushed deeper, as she had heard it too. Tory had to try really hard to not laugh at how cute she looked right then.

“Will…Will you be okay with me…tagging along?” Fantasia asked nervously. “I-I don’t want to be a bother…”

“…Fantasia, let me ask you this,” Tory started, getting down on his knees so he was eye level with her. She took another step back. “Can you take orders? Can you put up with me, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and especially Pinkie?”

“Hmph!” Pinkie Pie huffed. “What is THAT supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing,” Tory said with a laugh. He turned back to the small unicorn. “But again, can you put up with us? Are you willing to go all in, and bet your life to help Equestria?”

“Y-Yes,” Fantasia stammered quietly. Her comment was almost inaudible.

“I can’t hear you,” Tory told her. “You’re gonna have to speak up.”

“Y-Yes, I can,” she said, just a bit louder this time.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” Tory kept up. “You speak so quietly…”

“I…I…I can!” Fantasia said, much louder this time. “I can and I will!”

“Much better!” Tory exclaimed with a smile. “Welcome aboard Fantasia!”

He got off the floor, and turned back to his other friends. They smiled at him, and came over to welcome Fantasia to the group. As they approached her, she shrank back a bit. Tory couldn’t help but laugh just a bit at how timid she was.

“She’s not usually like this,” Luna commented, coming up to him. “On a daily basis, she’s commonly found chatting away with everypony she meets. I wonder what brought about this sudden change in personality…”

“I’ll bet it was because she thinks so highly of us,” Tory said, putting his arms behind his head in a relaxed manner. “To her, we must be like heroes. Now that she’s actually met us, she’s kind of scared to come out of her shell. I don’t blame her.”

“Oh, and you know so much about her kind?” Luna questioned.

“I should, considering I was like that before,” Tory told her. “I used to be the most outgoing person I knew. I’d talk with everyone that was within my line of sight, and I’d chat them up like Pinkie would. THEN the bullies came along…Hehe, kinda made me lose myself back then. But I don’t care anymore.”

“Why is it you seem to know so much about everything?” the alicorn of night asked.

“I could tell you,” Tory started. “But you wouldn’t understand. You’d need a basic knowledge of humans and our culture…Hmmm. I wonder if there is a spell that allows one to copy and share knowledge with others? That would be useful at so many times!”

“I believe there is a spell like that.” Luna told him. “It’s normally reserved for alicorn use, but since you were one before…I think you’ve earned the right to it.”

“Thanks,” Tory said. “This’ll save so much t-”

“But before I give it to you,” Luna started, cutting him off. “You need to know something…Follow me.”

The princess walked away, making Tory wonder what she had in mind. Something told him it involved Two Tail, and his connection with Luna. Gulping once, the human followed the alicorn. He turned around at the double doors to see Fluttershy staring at him curiously. Tory flashed her a big smile, and gave her a thumbs up, indicating that nothing would happen. At least, Tory prayed nothing would…

Luna led him up a large flight of stairs, and then down a couple of corridors, then it was back to stairs. As he reached the top of the ninth flight, Tory was panting heavily. He could’ve used his wings, but they weren’t allowed unless permission was given or there was an emergency. Since Tory hadn’t asked if he could use his wings, and there wasn’t any problems within the castle, he had to suck it up and walk the whole length.

The princess finally stopped at two small, dark doors that held two cresent moons on them. If Tory had to take a guess, he was standing outside Luna’s bedroom. Gulping again, he walked inside. He was not surprised when the door slammed behind him. The alicorn of night turned to him, and motioned for him to take a seat.

“No one will bother us here,” she said. A gleam appeared in her eyes.“Now, where to begin…”

“Umm, Luna,” Tory started, his voice betraying his fear that was now building.

Tory had read a story where Luna had tried to force herself onto another character. While he did enjoy the thought of Luna wanting him, he was married, happily he might add. Tory was not keen on the idea of cheating on his wife. Not. At. All.

“I’m kidding!” Luna said with a laugh. “What, did you think I was really going to try something to a married man? I’m far above that sort of thing Tory, you should know that.”

Tory smacked his forehead, cursing himself for letting his mind enter the gutter like that. He was truly a fool for acting the way he did…That, or Luna was really good at trolling. Honestly, the second one sounded better to him.

“So, what did you bring me to your room for?” Tory boldly asked.

“I needed a place where I could talk to you in private.” Luna explained. “Before you learn that spell, I figured it would be a good time for you to learn the truth about Tails, and how he came to be you.”

“So, you’re about to tell me a love story that features you and me?” Tory joked. He knew it was serious, but life sucked that way.

“Oh, I’m not going to say anything,” Luna said ominously. Her horn began to glow a dark blue. “You are going to remember.”

Before Tory had a chance to ask her what she meant, Luna’s magic began to float away from her horn in dark strings, wrapping around him, almost mummifying the boy. The only part of him that wasn’t covered was his face. The strings began to meld into his skin, causing an itching sensation. Tory squirmed around in his magical cocoon, but he had no luck in breaking the strings.

“Just relax,” Luna said soothingly beside him. “The magic is trying to find the memories of your past life. It will delve deep into your mind, and check every crack in your consciousness. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt…At least, not yet.”

“Wh-what do you…” Tory tried saying. His energy was being drained from his body, and he felt as though he was about to pass out.

“Your brain has only had to keep track of YOUR memories up until now,” Luna explained. “When these new ones appear, the part of your brain that stores memory will become overloaded, and will take time to create the extra space. It is going to hurt…a lot. But I intend to render you unconscious when the first sign appears, so you will feel less pain, your body won’t spend as much energy, and it can expend the excess power towards making a place for the new memories.”

“A…A l-little…warning…next time,” Tory said tiredly.

Luna smiled at him in a creepy way, and his face was covered with the magic strings. Tory felt a massive migrain enter his head, and he cried out in pain. Almost at once, all of his senses became dull, and he couldn’t feel anything. Tory’s eyes closed slowly, as sleep struck him immediately…

I.I.I Memory Recollection 1 I.I.I

“Relax yourself Two Tail,” came a gruff voice in front of Tory. “You won’t be able to cast magic while stressed out like that.”

Tory shook his head, opening his eyes and looking around. He was in the castle still, but this time it looked like he was in some sort of training room. Taking a step forward, he realized that he could feel the floor on his hands. He looked down to see that his hand was no longer human, but it was now a hoof.

Tory nearly cried out in shock. He was a human, so how and why was he not right now?! Turning around, he noticed a mirror on a nearby wall, and trotted over to it. Tory saw his reflection, and noticed four things right away. The first was that he had a green body, the deep green he loved so much. The second was that his normally light brown hair was darker, longer by a large amount, it spiked out at odd spots, and it was flowing behind him, as though there was a wind in the room. He noticed that he had wings, but this time, they were pegasus wings, instead of angelic wings, and they were green like his body, not silver like the ones he made. The fourth and final thing Tory noticed was the long horn that held itself high upon his forehead.

He was an alicorn, and a very familiar looking alicorn at that. What had that one voice said his name was? Oh right, Two Tail…TWO TAIL?! Tory took a step away from the mirror, realizing that he indeed was the alicorn of legend at the moment. It wasn’t right, for him to have this body, even if he actually was Tails at one time. A gruff coughing came from behind Tory, and he turned around to see another alicorn standing there, looking displeased.

The second alicorn was white like Celestia, but his short hair was a shade of black with gray streaks. He stood about a foot taller than Tory did right now, who was actually pretty small at the moment. If Tory could take a guess, he was a really young version of Two Tail, maybe about seventeen. But getting back to the point, the other alicorn had a chipped horn, and his wings were dull. A single scar ran down across one eye, which was red and pierced Tory like an inferno. Tory was actually scared of this alicorn.

“Now that you’re done observing yourself in the mirror,” he said in a deep, gruff voice that reminded Tory of an old video game character. It had the same monotone that the character had too. “Maybe you’d like to get back to training? We still have to go over the basic manuvers for dodging magic attacks in mid air…Two Tail, are you okay, you don’t look so good.”

“I’m uh, not sure really,” Tory told him. He was shocked to find his voice was still the same. That scared Tory more than the appearance change. “I think I just need to…clear my head.”

“Hmmm,” came the gruff voice. “Very well then, a five minute break will be allowed. Go ahead and clear out any unnecessary thoughts. When you get back though, I expect to see you working hard.”

The older alicorn walked away, leaving Tory to wonder just what happened. He remembered being in Princess Luna’s room, and how she worked her magic on him..but that was it. Wasn’t he supposed to be reliving Tails’ memories? Why was he able to control and move about in them?

“Maybe if I step outside, the fresh air will help me think clearly,” Tory said to himself. He shook his head and sighed. That was a bad habit of his, a remnant of his paranoia.

Walked into the halls, Tory realized that he had no idea where he was. He’d only seen the rooms that the show had presented, and that wasn’t very many. He could try to walk around, but then he could get lost. He had five minutes to himself at the moment, he couldn’t just wander around!

Returning to the training room, Tory walked over to a window, and pushed it open. A gentle breeze greeted him, and he breathed in the fresh scent it held. By the smell, it was close to Autumn. The crisp scent of falling leaves passed his nose, and he breathed it in deeply.

Tory had a love of all strange scents. He couldn’t explain it. The scent of burning fuel was a personal favorite of his. But no scent compared to that of nature at its finest. The trees during spring and fall gave off such a fragrance, Tory just felt lightheaded whenever he smelled them. It amazed him to no end how strange he was.

“Ahhhh!” Tory sighed happily as he let the breeze ruffle his mane. “This feels great!”

“Having fun there ‘Split Ends’?” came a young, mocking, female voice behind him.

Turning around, Tory saw a small alicorn. Her body was midnight blue, and her mane was a deep indigo. Her eyes were the same color as well. There was only one alicorn Tory knew of that looked like that, and she had forced him backwards in time…Princess Luna.

“Yup,” Tory said with a grin. “Just enjoying the breeze, clearing my head…you know.”

“That sounds pathetic,” Luna mocked, her voice a higher pitch than he was used to. ‘Why enjoy the breeze when you can have company like me?”

That comment caught Tory off-guard. He wasn’t expecting Luna to be so…different. He knew that she wasn’t going to be like she was during his time, but he figured she wouldn’t be a jerk. Then again, everypony is at one point in their life.

“Company is good and all,” Tory started. “But if you don’t stop to enjoy nature every now and then, you’ll start to lose yourself.”

“There you go again, trying to be deep,” the young alicorn said exasperatingly. “When will you learn that you suck at doing that?”

“Well,” Tory began, trying to keep his smile. “Someone fell out of bed this morning, didn’t they?”

“I-I did not!” Luna defended.

“You’re certainly trying to get under my fur,” he commented. “Are you sure?”

“Hmph!” she quickly turned around, held her head up, and walked away in what she probably thought was an attempt to save face. It might’ve worked, if she hadn’t tripped over a piece of carpet that stuck out.

“Well, that’s one way to do a push-up,” Tory commented, laughing. He walked over and extended a hoof. “Here, let me help you up.”

“I don’t need your help!” Luna snapped at him. She quickly got off the floor, and stood up shakily on her hooves. “I can do things perfectly fine on my own!”

“Like walking?” Tory snickered at his own joke.

“And just what is so funny to you?” the young alicorn asked irritably.

“Oh, nothing,” Tory said. “Just how much fun it is to actually laugh again.”

“You are so weird Split Ends,” Luna commented, using that strange name for him again.

“Split Ends?” Tory asked. “What, couldn’t think of an actual insult to use for me?”

Luna huffed, and walked out of the room again. Once more, she tripped on the rug, causing Tory to laugh again. He offered his han-I mean hoof- and this time she took it. Unsure of how strong he was, he acidentaly pulled her up to fast, and she fell onto him. As his head hit the floor, he felt something else smack him in the face.

“Ow!” Tory said, rubbing the cheek where the pain resided. He opened his eyes to see Princess Luna on top of him. He blushed, and turned his head. “Um, sorry. I guess I don’t know my own strength.”

“Ummm, its okay?” Luna replied, also blushing. She got off of him, and took a few steps back. “Are, um, you okay?”

“Ahem!” came the gruff voice by the door. Turning towards it, Tory and Luna saw that it was the white alicorn from before. His face was firm, but his eyes held a small gleam that Tory had seen before. “Is that what was distracting you? If this was it, all you had to do was ask.”

“Its not like that!” Tory said quickly, defending himself. “Luna tripped and I tried to help her up!…I kinda pulled a bit too hard and well…”

“So you say,” the alicorn replied. “But all I saw was our Princess on top of you. In my book that counts as-”

“Master Katsu,” Luna cut him off, speaking firmly. “Are you implying something?”

“Um, no Princess,” the alicorn named Katsu said nervously, avoiding her gaze. Even when she was young, Luna still had that commanding voice. God, that was cool!

“Right then,” she nodded. She turned back to Tory, and her eyes softened, but not by much. “Try not to yank my hoof off next time, will you?”

“Heheh, right,” Tory replied, scratching a spot behind his head with his hoof in embarrassment. Did Luna just say ‘next time’? Was she asking him out? He had to be crazy after all! “I’ll be more careful.”

The young alicorn smiled, and walked out of the room. Getting off the floor, Tory shook his mane, which was kind of pointless since it was always moving anyways. Tory figured it had to be an alicorn thing, instead of his initial theory of power radiating off the pony. That upset him, he hated it when any of his theories, even the slightly pointless ones, were proven wrong.

“Alright,” Katsu said getting his attention. “Time to get back to work. We’ll continue with where we left off in basic maneuvers in the air…What are you waiting for, Winter?! Give me three backflips and two barrel rolls in a single jump without using your wings! Now!”

Surprised by the sudden change in attitude, Tory cringed at his voice. No longer was the gruffness there, but instead an intense commanding voice. Quickly recovering, Tory jumped into the air to at least try to do as his teacher asked. He managed to get two flips in, but his head smashed into the floor on the third one. The actual impact had left a dent and a few cracks on the floor.

“Pathetic!” Master Katsu scolded. “You are too slow, and focus entirely on a single action at one time. Don’t focus so much on performing the actions, let your instinct take over, and move with it. Once more!”

Shaking his head, Tory crouched low to build up for his jump. He felt something inside him try to release itself, and he gave in to it. Jumping up, Tory felt his body turn on its own, and he went with it, moving much faster this time. He flipped and did a roll at the same time, getting one, two, three…four flips and rolls down as he landed perfectly on his hooves. He looked over at the alicorn that must’ve been his mentor, and waited for his reaction.

“Not bad,” Katsu commented. “But you must learn to control your actions more. I said three flips and two rolls…you did four of each Two Tail. In a fight, the time you spent doing the extra one could’ve gotten you stabbed and killed. Again!”

Tory sighed once, giving in to the demand. He let his instinct take over once more, but this time he kept himself in check. He jumped and started to roll, letting two flips move with the single spin. He flipped again, much slower this time, as he picked up speed for the spin. Landing once more, Tory let out his breath, and sucking in air deeply. That had put a strain on his body that he was unused to.

“Much better,” the old alicorn praised. Tory gave him a simple grin, trying not to act too proud of it. “I’m surprised though… Two Tail, you’re not acting like yourself. Usually, you can’t even get a single roll done, and you didn’t jump for joy when I complimented you. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Tory cursed himself for getting carried away. He forgot that he knew next to nothing about Tails, and his personality. The boy had just assumed that the two would be similar, being the same character and all. Evidently, Two Tail was less…controlled than Tory.

“Uh yeah,” Tory said, raising a hoof to wave away the older pony’s concerns. “I guess that I just did a bit of thinking, and well…”

“You, think?” Katsu asked incredulously. “That’s new!”

“If you say so,” the human/alicorn replied, trying to ignore that last comment.

“…You really aren’t yourself then,” the older one said. “You didn’t take offense like usual, you’re not hyper and asking for secret techniques to use…Just what were you thinking about?”

“Oh, this and that,” Tory told him, trying to think up an excuse. Then he blurted out something he hadn’t really thought through. “Like how awesome Luna is!…”

After realizing what he said, Tory groaned and slammed his hoof into his face, and felt his face get hot. He looked up at his ‘mentor’ to see the alicorn smiling, that gleam in his eyes again. Why did Tory let that slip? Usually he thought everything through, very rarely saying something on the spot. Curse those rare moments!

“I’ve got to learn to control myself more,” he whispered to himself.

“I’ll say,” Katsu said, that gleam making Tory feel uncomfortable. “Just try to keep your hooves to yourself, okay? I didn’t see or hear anything…”

The older alicorn turned around, and walked out of the room, signaling that the session was over. Tory smiled at that, and began to walk out himself. As he came to the hallway again, Tory realized that he had no idea where he was supposed to go, or what he could do. He turned towards one end of the corridor, and began his walk.

It took Tory three minutes to get lost. As he tried to find his way back, Tory only became more lost, as he had forgotten to keep track of his steps. Taking yet another left, a right, and another right, Tory found himself in front of two dark doors. They reminded him of Luna’s room, except that they were bare. Then he realized that Luna hadn’t received her mark yet. She must not have realized that she was meant to control the moon and the heavens of the night yet.

Gulping once and steeling his nerves, Tory walked over to the doors, and knocked three times. A few seconds later, they opened and Luna stepped halway out. When she saw it was him, she turned her head and blushed a bit. Tory couldn’t help but smile at that. While he still thought of himself as married to Fluttershy, even though he was nearly a thousand years back in time, Tory had to admit that Luna looked cute. Still not as adorable as his wife, but she had her own special glow about her.

“Uh, hey Luna,” Tory started nervously. “I uh, just came by to apologize again.”

The young alicorn looked at him like he was crazy. She surveyed the surrounding area to see if anypony was watching. When she found that it was clear, she motioned for him to enter, and he reluctantly did. As he passed through the door, Luna slammed into him, and pushed him up against the wall. His head smacked the hard wood, and he let it fall forward. The dark alicorn held his hooves to the wall, a strange glare on her face.

“Okay, who are you?!” Luna hissed at him. “Tails didn’t act nice to anypony, and he certainly wouldn’t apologize! You’ve done nothing to act like him! Are you some sort of spy, sent to destroy us from the inside?!”

“What, no!” Tory said defensively. “Okay true, I’m not EXACTLY Two Tail, but at the same time I am!…SHIT! Why can’t I control my thoughts today?! Ugh! Okay listen, I am Tails, but at the same time, I somepony else…or actually, I should say someONE else.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?” Luna asked, confused now. “Explain yourself!”

“Princess, you wouldn’t believe me if I tried to,” Tory replied. “Trust me.”

“Oh, try me,” Luna countered. She pulled off of Tory, and let him fall to the floor.

Shifting to a comfortable position, Tory tried to find a way to tell her why he wasn’t…himself? That had been weird. He told her that he was later killed and was reincarnated into a different form. Then he told her that a certail spell was making him relive the events. He left out any specifics, like why he/Tails died, and who had performed the spell on him. Luna just stared at him like he was crazy.

“You honestly expect me to believe this?” she eventually asked after Tory finished.

“No, not really,” he answered casually. “I even said you wouldn’t before I began telling you. Remember?”

“Oh, right.” she nodded.

“Don’t worry, I should hopefully be ‘back to normal’ and out of your mane soon,” Tory told her, stressing ‘back to normal’. He couldn’t do any air quotes since he didn’t have fingers, so he had to try using his voice.

“And what about when you’re not ‘normal’?” Luna asked, stressing the word as well.

“Then everypony will have to put up with me like this,” he said dismissively. “I don’t know when this whole experience will end, but I pray it’s soon. I kind of want my old body back.”

“What were you before you ‘changed’?”

“Hahahaha! Oh wow, I’ve never had to explain myself like this! It’s actually kind of fun!” Tory started with a laugh. “My old form was…not really what you would expect. How should I explain?…Oh, I got it! You know what chimpanzees look like?” When Luna nodded, he continued. “Well, straighten out their back, make them a few feet taller, remove all of their hair besides any bit over the head, cave their mouthes in a bit, then throw a few pieces of clothing over them, and you have a human. That’s what our race is called by the way. It’s not really exact, but it’s…close enough?”

“…That looks terrible!” Luna commented after she imagined the creature.

“I’d have to actually show you a real human for you to get the right picture,” Tory told her.

“I’m still not sure if I believe you,” she said quietly.

“I don’t expect you to,” he replied simply.

“…”

“…I guess that I should leave now,” Tory said after a minute of silence. He got up and walked to the door. “I may not be…myself?…but I need to at least try to follow the ‘memories’ like it’s normal…This is going to be hell.”

“Wait,” Luna spoke up as he reached for the handle. She walked over to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. A slight blush could be seen on her face. “Maybe it would be best if you stayed here for the night. If what you say is true, then you have no idea where to go or what to do, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…” Tory trailed off, a blush on his face as well. “I don’t really think it would be wise for me to stay in YOUR room.”

“It’s either that, or have everypony think you’re a spy,” Luna said sternly. “Your choice.”

“When you put it like that, it sounds like I have no choice at all,” he commented.

“Now you’re getting it!” the dark alicorn said with a smile. Her eyes gleamed playfully, and Tory turned his head away, trying not to get attached to her.

Again, things were complicated enough for him, with Fluttershy and Rainbow. True, Luna liked him already, but if he started to return the feelings…Oh God! A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. Tory shook those thoughts out of his head, and turned back to Luna.

“I guess I’ll try to get some sleep then,” he said, faking a yawn. He walked over to the bed, and curled up on the floor. Human or not, he could still be a gentleman, and do what was right.

“Why are you on the floor?” Luna questioned.

“Well, we can’t really share the bed now, can we?” Tory said, raising his head to look at her. He was slightly annoyed at having to answer an obvious question like that. “Isn’t that considered taboo, even back during this time period?”

“Um, right,” Luna nodded, blushing at realizing what he was getting at. She crawled under her blankets, and curled up herself. “Goodnight then, ‘Split Ends’.”

“Night…” Tory wanted to give her a fun little nickname, but he couldn’t think of one at the moment. He sighed as he let his eyes close. The exhaustion griped at him, and he fell asleep…

“Not even the past will keep me away Tory,” came Discord’s voice. “I will hunt you down and kill you…”

Tory snapped his head up, breathing heavily. He looked around, but the dark preventing him from seeing anything. He kept turning his head, trying to find Discord within the shadows. Yet nothing happened. He felt a light tap on his shoulder, and jumped a bit. Tory turned to vaguely see Luna looking at him from her bed.

“Tails, are you okay?” she asked. “You’re shaking badly.”

“I uh…bad dream,” he lied. “It’s nothing…”

“You feel cold,” Luna said, placing a hoof on his forehead. “…I’m sorry, I forgot how cold the nights get. You need to warm up…”

“I’ll…I’ll be fine,” Tory said, actually telling the truth. Temperatures didn’t really affect him, he’s been through so many temperature changes within his life. “I just need to get some fresh air.”

“And freeze to death?” the dark alicorn asked him. She was silent for a second, before speaking again. “…Maybe you should get under the covers.”

“I, uh…I-I-I don’t…” Tory stammered, feeling his face get REALLY hot. This didn’t sound good at all. It was almost as though the universe was trying to test his loyalty to Fluttershy. “I…I c-can’t.”

“I won’t take no for an answer,” Luna said firmly. She picked Tory up with her magic and placed him next to her on the bed. “Besides, its not like you’ll try anything, right?”

“I didn’t intend to,” he agreed. He still felt uncomfortable though.

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” she told him.

Tory reluctantly slipped under the sheets, and used his teeth to pull his part of the covers up. He let his head fall on the soft pillow, and sighed in content. Then he felt something on his shoulder, and became even more uncomfortable. Luna had just moved closer to him, and put one of her hooves over him. Tory said he wouldn’t try anything, but what about her? She might’ve had feelings for Tails this early on, so it would make sense. He squirmed a bit, not really feeling relaxed anymore.

“Heheheh,” Luna giggled. “You may not be Split Ends, but you’re just as awkward around me as he was.”

“You drag every guy with two tails into your bed?” Tory asked with a bit of humor in his voice.

“Only the cute ones,” Luna teased him. He could almost see the blush on her face when she said that. His face felt really hot too. “Heheheh, Tails had the same reaction when I told him that!”

“I can’t imagine why,” Tory said sarcastically.

“Oh don’t be so sour,” Luna commented, giggling again. “I’m just having a bit of fun with you.”

“I know, but I’ve never been the kind of guy that’s actually around girls,” Tory admitted. “I’ve always been the loser that tries to keep away from everypony…and they try to keep away from me.”

“Then they are fools,” the dark alicorn told him soothingly. “I can’t see why you should have to be alone.”

“I’ve never truly been alone, and I’m grateful for that,” the human/alicorn said truthfully. “I’ve always had family, and at least one good friend wherever I’ve been…But even they can’t completely fill the void…”

Luna moved closer to him, embracing Tory in a hug. He squirmed again in her hold, still uncomfortable about this. After a few seconds, he resigned himself to the young alicorn’s hug, and returned it. The princess smelled faintly of violets, which was kind of funny to him. Why shouldn’t she smell like a flower she resembled so closely in color? Tory smiled at how crazy his life was, and how grateful he was to now have all of these ponies beside him. He broke the hug, and looked into Luna’s violet, piercing eyes.

Almost instinctively, Tory felt his body lean forward. Luna did as well. Their lips were an inch apart, and they could feel the other’s warm breath. At the last second though, Tory pulled away, regaining his mental and physical control. He looked into Luna’s eyes again, and saw how hurt she was.

“I’m…I’m sorry Luna,” Tory apologized. “I can’t really…you know. I’m not supposd to be here, Tails is. He was supposed to…Nevermind, I’ve said too much.”

“But you are Split Ends!” the dark alicorn argued quietly, trying to keep her voice low. “You look like him, sound like him, even act like him…mostly!”

“But I’m not him!” the human/alicorn said, getting off the bed. “My name is Tory Mills, I’m a human, not an alicorn! I’m not from this time period! I was born and raised nearly a thousand years from now! I have my own life to live, not somepony else’s!”

“Then why are you here?” Luna countered. “If you don’t belong here, then why did you bother coming back?!”

“Because you made me!” Tory told her, his voice beginning to rise. Two seconds later, he realized just what he said, and smashed his hoof into his forehead as hard as he could. “Ah, God dammit! Why can’t I control my mouth today?!”

“I…I did this to you?” Luna asked incredulously. She got out of the bed as well, and walked over to Tory. “I sent you back in time, looking like Split Ends?!”

“Curse my luck,” Tory muttered under his breath. He looked at the dark alicorn, and nodded slowly. “Yeah, but you were supposed to make me regain the memories of someone, not make me relive them. I don’t know what happened, but something went wrong with the spell I think. Luna please understand, things shouldn’t be this way! I can’t be Two Tail, I can’t live his life…I can’t…have feelings for you…”

Tory said the last part so quietly, Luna had almost missed it. As she listened to him, she felt herself blush. It wasn’t a light one either, it nearly turned her whole face red. She looked at the alicorn that said he was not what he seemed, and saw the same blush on her face. It was really hard to notice in the dark though.

She slowly walked over to her desk, pulled out a candle and match, then lit up the room. She carried it over to Tory, who was starting for the door. Luna used her magic to pick him up and carry him back to the center of the room. As she placed him on the ground, the green alicorn tried to rush for the door, but he tripped on the rug. Luna giggled at that.

“That’s one way to do a push-up,” Luna said still laughing. She held out a hoof for him to take. “Let me help you off the floor.”

“I’ll be fine,” Tory told her, slowly getting to his hooves. They wobbled as he stood up. “I can do things on my own.”

“Like walking?” she asked him. Then she broke out laughing.

“What so fun-…” Tory started. Then he realized what just happened. “O-o-okay then…that happened. I guess that’s payback for earlier. Thank you Karma!”

Tory broke out laughing himself, and fell back onto the floor. This time, when Luna extended her hoof, he graciously accepted. She pulled him up, and Tory decided to play a little joke on her. When he reached a certain point, he leaned with the momentum, and fell on top of Luna. He blushed after he realized what he did, and took a step back. The dark alicorn was blushing too, but she was still smiling.

“Move for move, just different roles,” Tory said jokingly.

“You planned that, didn’t you?!” Luna asked him playfully.

“Ma-a-a-aybe!” he teased back.

Luna tackled him to the floor, and the two tussled for a few seconds before she was holding him down with her hooves. Tory tried to struggle free, but his laughter kept him from putting any real strength behind the actions. He kept trying for a couple more seconds, before he was out of breath.

“Okay…You got me,” Tory said, admitting defeat. The gleam never left his eyes though. “Now what will you do with you poor victim, Princess Luna?”

The dark alicorn smiled, and leaned down towards his ear. She whispered something that cannot be put into words due to the level of explicitness, and Tory blushed madly. Luna saw his expression, and broke out laughing. She let her hooves come off him, and sat down on the floor beside the human/alicorn.

“You don’t honestly think I intend to do that, do you?” Luna asked him, her voice still sweet and seductive. “Not on the first date!”

“Oh, dating now, are we?” Tory smiled at her. “But we just met!”

“But it feels like I’ve known you forever!” Luna commented with a grin.

“…Okay, I guess I’ll give you that,” Tory said, returning the smile. “Just don’t try anything funny, you got that?”

“Never even crossed my mind,” Luna told him, raising a hoof.

“…Why do I feel like you’re not really telling me the truth?” he asked, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

“Because I’m not,” she replied, the gleam in her eyes again.

Luna pounced on him again, and began to tickle him. Tory tried to not laugh, but she seemed to know where all of his weak points were. Covering his mouth with a hoof to prevent too much noise from escaping, he laughed so hard he began to cry. The dark alicorn kept this up for another minute, before Tory was begging her to let him breathe.

“You may not be Split Ends mentally,” Luna commented. “But you’re still him physically.”

“I…hate you,” Tory huffed. He smiled at her before rolling onto his back to help ease his breathing. “Why you…gotta…do that…to me?”

“Because it’s so much fun!” she replied.

“Oh…” he sighed. “I think I could sleep for a week!”

“Yes, I’m feeling tired myself,” Luna admitted. She prodded Tory in the side, and pointed to the bed when he looked over. “Let’s get some rest, before someone wakes up and notices you’re in my room.”

Tory simply nodded, and forced himself to his hooves. He walked over to the bed, and flopped down onto it with a sigh. He slowly pulled the covers over him, and rested his head on the pillow. Luna crawled under the other side, and smiled at him. He grinned back, and closed his eyes. Before he fell asleep, Tory felt the bed move, and opened his eyes to see Luna right in front of him.

She leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek lightly. Tory blushed, as did she, and he put a hoof around her. Luna turned around, and scooted closer to him. As she snuggled up to him, he couldn’t help but think maybe it was fine for him to like Luna, so long as he was trapped in this freaky timeline. Tory had already liked her from the show, and she was pretty awesome in real life too, so why not? She seemed to return the feelings too.

As these thoughts drifted through his head, Tory felt exhaustion weigh him down, and he closed his eyes once more. He listened to Luna’s soft breathing, and soon fell asleep…

I.I.I Memory Recollection 1 Complete I.I.I

“Think he’ll be okay,” came a really soft voice.

“If we leave him alone, he’ll soon wake up. He’s just regaining the memories of his past life.” said a regal voice.

Tory opened his eyes slowly, and saw three things that he liked immediately. Standing to his right was Fluttershy, her expression held nothing but worry and love for him. To his left was Rainbow Dash, who also held a caring expression for him. At the foot of the bed where Tory was resting, stood a much older Luna, fully grown and looking at him with a now familiar gleam in her eyes.

“Uhn,” Tory groaned as he pushed himself up. “Remind me to pay you back one day Luna. That was one hell of a ride!”

“Tory!” Fluttershy and Rainbow cried out at the same time.

They both wrapped him in a hug, and he began to suffocate. As he gasped out his reply of ‘Glad…to see…you too.’, they realized what they were doing, and released him. As he got his breath back, he smiled at the two of them. Tory planted a kiss on their cheeks, and they blushed lightly. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how awesome they were.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Luna asked him.

“Kind of,” he replied. “I’m going to have to talk to you about that later.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” she said, and walked away.

“Um, what just happened?” Rainbow asked, confused.

“Let’s just say that me and Tails definitely are the same person,” Tory told his girls.

“How?” came Fluttershy’s question.

“Me and him both felt something for Luna” Tory thought to himself.

As he watched the alicorn of night round a corner, he knew he wanted her. Yet, he knew that he could never have her as well. Tory still had to figure out a way to fix things between him and Rainbow Dash. There was no way he was going to turn this love triangle into a…would it be called a love square? That didn’t sound right unless all four involved in it held feelings for at least one of the others. Either way, Tory wasn’t going to add to his problems by throwing Luna into it. Besides, she could really hurt him, being royalty and all, if something bad were to happen.

“Oh, me and him seem to share many of the same interests,” Tory replied, smiling at the two pegasi in front of him. “But at least I can say that I’m the only one that loves both of you.”

Tory pulled them both into a hug, and they returned it. He was glad to have both of them beside him. It felt wrong, not having one or the other. It was even worse without both of them. Tory knew how much they meant to him, and he was willing to do anything to make sure they were happy and safe. That was a promise he intended to stick to. He would put his life on the line many times over for them if they so much as hinted at it. He was that devoted to his two girls. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were the focal points of his life, and he was happy to have it like that…

Endless Love

‘Endless Love’

“You mean to tell me it was all just a dream?” Tory asked Princess Luna.

After waking up from his little escape into the past, Tory had spent a good hour with his wife, glad to be back with her. Fluttershy was the most special pony in the world to him, and he wasn’t going to let her escape him again. But then she had to return to her cottage, and finish taking care of all the animals. After that, Tory had decided to find Luna, and they had walked back to her room, where Tory explained what happened…mostly

“Yes, it was.” Luna answered. Your subconscious picked up the memories as they returned to you, and interpreted them as dreams. Therefore, you gained control over them, and were able to alter them at least a little. The memories didn’t change, and neither did the timeline, thankfully.”

“So, you really did all of that to Tails in one night?” Tory questioned, kind of scared now.

“Do what?” came Luna’s confused question.

“You know…” Tory implied. “In your room…the scuffling…forcing him into your bed…”

“Oh, that!” Luna said quickly, turning away from him. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything…”

“Of course not,” Tory replied with a smile and a light blush. “I took the gentleman’s choice, and slept on the floor.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah,” Tory nodded, withholding part of the truth. “I DO follow certain mannerisms, Princess Luna.”

Luna turned back to him, and he saw a slight blush on her face. He couldn’t help but smile at that. If only she knew what really happened in that crazy dream. But that was something he couldn’t tell her about. Instead, he decided to change the topic.

“So, any chance I can get that one spell?” Tory asked her.

“What spell?” the dark alicorn questioned.

“You know, the one that allows for the sharing of memories?” came his reply.

“Oh yes,” Luna said, remembering. She walked over to one of her bookshelves, and used her magic to pull down a small textbook. She passed it over to Tory, and he plucked it out of the air. “I believe the spell is on page 24.”

“Actually, it’s on page 28,” Tory told her.

“How do you know that?”

“Control F,” Tory shrugged, then he burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny, I don’t get it?” Luna asked him.

“Nothing, just a human joke,” Tory told her. “Actually, it says so in the table of contents.”

“Oh,” Luna nodded.

Looking at the page with the spell, Tory quickly memorized the details and how it was performed. If this worked, he could make things much easier for everypony when they all traveled back to Earth. That thought still made him uncomfortable. He and his friends were almost guarenteed to attract plenty of attention. Tory was absolutely positive they would, thinking about it. He, Cory, and Grace had all vanished for over a week. How were their classmates going to react when they suddenly returned?

“You look troubled,” Luna commented. “What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking about when we go to Earth again,” he replied. “I don’t think we’re going to have an easy break.”

“Well, there is one other thing that is going to happen, most likely after we get back,” Luna admitted to him. “I’m not supposed to tell you, but Tia decided that it would be good for everypony and you humans to go to the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“…Did you say the Gala?” Tory questioned, his voice lowering.

“Um, yes?” Luna replied, taken aback by his sudden change of attitude.

“Why do I have a feeling that it won’t really be fun?” he asked her.

“Are you thinking about what happened last year?”

“Yeah, but there are a few problems that I think will prevent me from going,” Tory told her. “First off, I can’t dance…at all! Second, I still have to worry about fixing things between me and Rainbow Dash. If I don’t do that, then I’ll feel like a complete ass! Third…I’ve…”

“What? You’ve what?” Luna pressed.

“I’ve never really…” Tory trailed off again.

“Wow Tory, you’re acting more shy that Fluttershy and Fantasia,” Luna commented. “Just say it, I won’t laugh.”

“I know,” Tory said, nodding. “It’s just that… Well I’ve never really been to a dance of any kind! I get nervous around large crowds, and that makes me lose myself. I’ll end up embarrassing Fluttershy, Rainbow, and every one of my friends. Plus, there is this thing about these kinds of events for people my age. If you go to one, not only are you expected to have a date, there’s always that one thing that runs through everyone’s heads. And that’s…”

“Come on Tory, tell me now,” Luna prompted. Her eyes gleamed playfully for a second. “If you don’t, I’m going to force it out of you.”

“That’s scary,” Tory commented. “Okay fine!… At any sort of dance, it’s almost expected for the two attending, to end the night with a bang…so to speak. Their supposed to…”

He leaned over to Luna, and whispered something explicit into her ear. She turned a light shade of red, and Tory did as well, thinking about it too. If he went, he and Fluttershy might have to… Tory shook those thoughts from his head. He had to keep him mind out of the gutter!

“Are you serious?” Luna asked him, flabbergasted. “You mean to tell me that others expect you and her to…?”

“Kind of!” Tory said, his voice rising. “And that’s what makes things difficult! I have more respect for Fluttershy than that! I’m a gentleman, and I will wait patiently for her! I refuse to pressure her like that!”

“At least you have some chivalry in you,” Luna commented, grinning at him.

“Maybe, but this is too uncomfortable right now,” Tory told her, turning away. “Can we please change the subject?”

“Well uh,” Luna began. “Maybe you’d like to practice that spell?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Tory agreed, accepting the change. “But what should I try it with?”

“How about your little dream?” Luna suggested. “I’m kind of curious to see what crazy things your mind imagined.”

“…You don’t wanna know!”

“Oh but I do,” she insisted. “Why don’t you want to show me? Is it dirty, or naughty?”

“Um, uh, I’m not supposed to talk about it!” Tory lied. “I promised somepony!”

“You’re just like Split Ends in one thing then,” Luna commented with a sigh. “You both are terrible liars.”

“Well we were the same character at one point,” Torysaid. “I’m just a slightly improved version…in some areas.”

“You’re also modest,” she laughed.

“…Maybe we should focus on that spell.”

“What, did I say something wrong?” Luna asked.

“No, it’s just Karma suddenly has issues with me apparently,” Tory said.

“Um, Karma?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tory told her, waving off the question. He turned to the book, and looked at the spell once more. “I guess I don’t have a choice when it comes to that dream, since you’ll probably pester me about it until you do see it, am I right?”

“You evidently know me better than I first thought,” she commented. “Okay then, hit me with the spell!”

Tory held the book up in his left hand, and aimed his right at Luna, palm facing her open, with fingers spread wide. He focused his thoughts on the dream, and the idea of them separating and cloning. After he felt the finished result, he took the cloned memories, and concentrated on them flowing out of his mind, and into his hand. It created a rushing sensation all along his arm and head. He looked at his hand to see it was glowing dark green, and it had an aura about it.

“I think I got it,” Tory said carefully, and he slowly walked over to Luna. “Let’s see if this works…and if it does, please don’t judge me.”

“What are you-”

Tory cut Luna off as he placed his hand on her head, and the glowing seeped from his fingers into her. Her eyes widened for a second, and she held completely still. He looked at her, and saw that her eyes had clouded over. He wondered if he did the spell right, and was about to check the book again. Before Tory could open it though, a large weight crashed into him, and he fell to the floor. He tried to move, but something held him down.

“Certain mannerisms, huh?” came Luna’s teasing voice.

“”That memory played out fast,” Tory commented.

“Now I see why you didn’t want to share that memory,” she told him. She stepped off of him, and Tory turned around to see her blushing.

“I guess that counts as the payback for sending me in there in the first place,” Tory said with a laugh. “Well, now that you know, let’s try to keep this between us, okay?”

“As if I’d let such…instances get around,” Luna told him carefully, trying to avoid using any descriptive words.

“And don’t worry, I’ll keep my hooves to myself so long as you do as well,” he teased.

“You don’t even have hooves,” the dark alicorn countered. “At least, not any more.”

“What are you talking about?” Tory asked, shrugging and showing Luna that his hands had disappeared, and had been replaced by a pair of hooves. “I do too have hooves!”

“Oh my!” Luna gasped. “How did you…?”

“Really?” Tory asked exasperatingly. “Hello, magic? Remember, I can cast magic?”

“Oh, right,” Luna nodded, embarrassed that she fell for such a simple ruse.

“Heheheh, such fun times,” Tory said, laughing gently. Then his smile vanished, and his voice became serious. “…But I’m afraid that they won’t last. Luna, I’m married, and I can’t feel these things. I shouldn’t be feeling them, not when I’m so insane about Fluttershy!…I’m sorry, but I think I should leave.”

Tory turned towards the door, only for Luna to put a hoof on his shoulder. He looked back at her, and saw the tears forming in those dark, lovely eyes of hers. He slowly shook his head, and turned away. He had to keep away from Luna, or else risk his relationship with Fluttershy. That was something he wasn’t going to put on the line, ever!

“I…I understand,” Luna said sadly. “You’ve got to do what is right for the ones that you already have. It would be best if we didn’t talk like this.”

As Tory nodded, feeling tears well up in his eyes, he couldn’t help but stop and look back at the alicorn. She smiled at him kindly, but her eyes said something else. He reached out for the door, and gripped the handle, but his arms refused to pull it back. His vision blurred a bit, and his arms lost all strength. Why? Why did he have to be so caught up in all of these girls?! He was just setting himself up for more hurt each time!

Luna came up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He let his hand fall to his sides, and he breathed in her scent. The violet smell that surrounded her made Tory feel lightheaded, and something in him just gave in. Without consciously realizing it, he turned to Luna, and kissed her. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, and it wasn’t very long. But it said more than any words could express.

Luna had felt something for Tails, and had carried that love over to Tory when it was revealed. He had always felt something for the badass alicorn of night, from the moment she changed from Nightmare Moon, to Princess Luna. His interest in her had only improved when she had come to fight Discord beside him, even though she had only slowed the demon down. And when she came to Tory once more inside the Cloister of Love, her eyes had said everything then.

Now, they said the same thing, just stronger this time. Her dark eyes began to water up, and Tory had to turn away, unable to see her cry. He knew that he would too if he saw those tears. Gripping the door handle once again, he successfully managed to pull it open this time. He stopped before he completely went though, and spoke to Luna once more. Tory didn’t look back, he just kept his eyes focused on the halls.

“Just know that even if it was short lived, it was still great,” he said. “Don’t give up Luna, there is always somepony out there…”

With that, Tory closed the door, and his connection to the dark alicorn. Luna turned back to her bed, and collapsed onto it, letting the soft pillows absorb the tears that flowed out. Two Tail had said something so close to that before he died. Tory truly was his reincarnated soul, just remade into a new body, and given the chance to rise above.

“You say don’t give up,” Luna began, talking to herself in sadness. “But you already have! I already met that special somepony, and he just walked out that door…for the second time in my life!”

I.I.I

Rainbow Dash was feeling a similar sadness right now herself. Crying once again on her cloud bed, the blue pegasus couldn’t clear out the thoughts about that human that she had spent so little time with. It had been the most pleasant four days in her life, and she had given it up so he could be happy.

Yet every time Tory looked at her, Rainbow could see the pain in his eyes. He still held her close in his heart, and was sad that she wasn’t beside him, that much she could read from his expression. Even though the whole reason the two of them had brought Fluttershy back to life was so that Tory could be happy, it was obvious that he wasn’t. In that sense, Rainbow had screwed up, and made the situation worse! She too held him close in her heart, and that just made being near him too painful. She had tried to keep away from him, but it seemed almost like the two were forcefully drawn to each other.

When Rainbow had followed Pinkie Pie because she said something great was going to happen, Tory had been sitting there, waiting for her. When she arrived at the castle, Tory had shown up soon after. When it came time to put a team together, she’d been picked to go with him on an undercover assignment.

“I just don’t understand why this had to happen,” Rainbow said to herself with a sigh. She slammed a hoof into her pillow, letting all of her rage go with it. “He’s always there, and he always has that look in his eyes! Why? Why does he still care?!”

“Because that’s who he is,” came a soft voice from the doorway.

Rainbow jumped at the sound, freaked out that somepony had entered her house without even so much as a hint. Turning over to look at them, she noticed it was Derpy, who looked slightly different. She looked, almost normal. Her eyes were less spread out, and they had an intenseness to them that reminded the blue pegasus of the day most of Ponyville tried to kill Tory. Derpy had been one of the few that stood by Tory from the beginning.

“Did…Did you talk Derpy?” Rainbow asked. “Or am I hearing things?”

“It…It was me,” she said quietly, shying away a bit. “B-but listen! Tory doesn’t want to forget about you! He wouldn’t even think about it!”

“But he’s miserable like this,” Rainbow Dash argued. “If he would give up on me, he could be happy with Fluttershy, like he used to!”

“…What about you?” Derpy asked suddenly. “Would you be happy, knowing that he was enjoying himself with Fluttershy, and not you?”

“Yes!” the blue pegasus said, getting up. “I’d be much better off knowing that! If Tory’s happy, then I’m happy!”

“Then stop lying to yourself and go talk to him!” Derpy snapped quietly. “Do it for him…”

Rainbow looked closely at the gray-ish pegasus, and saw her amber eyes watering up. Placing a hoof on the pony, Rainbow led her outside, where a gentle breeze greeted them. The sun was setting on what was her third day back from the Cloister. It glowed golden on the horizon, causing Rainbow to squint a bit.

“Derpy, do you like him too?” She asked calmly.

“…Y-yes,” she admitted quietly.

Rainbow smiled at her gently. Even though the gray-ish pegasus held feelings for the human, no matter how small they were, she was trying to fix things between him and one of his other lovers. That was something only a true friend and somepony that really cared would do.

“Well then, I guess I don’t have a choice, now do I?” Rainbow questioned, smiling kindly at Derpy. “I mean, you’re trying so hard to help all of us, when you could be trying to get him for yourself. I like your style Derpy, we should hang out some time!”

“M-maybe,” she agreed softly.

“You’re like Fluttershy almost, so quiet and timid,” Rainbow commented. “I think you and I are gonna be good friends! C’mon, let’s go find Tory. Me and him need to talk!”

I.I.I

Walking down the halls slowly, Tory felt something inside him pulse. It wasn’t like the previous times though, this was something completely different. This time, the pulsing wasn’t just in his heart, it was all of him. His hands, his legs, his very soul, they were pulsing in perfect synchronization.

The suddenness of it caught Tory completely by surprise, and he fell to the floor, not even able to resist. It couldn’t be any outside force, he knew that much. Ever since he’d returned from the Cloister, Tory had created a force field around himself and all of Ponyville, preventing any evil intentions from entering. It had succeeded in resisting all opposing forces, at least it did, until now.

Trying to build up his magic to fuel his own little force field, Tory shut his eyes and pulled out every ounce of energy he had within him. Doing so only sped up the pulsing inside his body though, and Tory quickly stopped. He tried to get to his feet, to find somepony that could get Celestia, Luna, or even Twilight to help him. He slowly and painfully moved forward, leaning against a wall to help hold his weight, as his legs were so weak right now.

When he rounded a corner, Tory saw a light gray alicorn walking down the hall. The pulsing in him slowed as he neared them, then it rapidly increased. Tory cried out in pain at the sudden increase, and it attracted the alicorn’s attention. He held out a hand, and tried to ask him to go get Celestia or some other powerful magic user, but he couldn’t hear what he said. The pulsing was blocking out his hearing now, and it dimmed his vision.

“And here I was, thinking that I’d managed to stop all of these attacks.” Tory thought to himself. “That Discord is a persistent one! Even now, he’s probably trying to increase the pressure on me so that I’ll die from the overload!”

“Yet it is not him,” came a voice inside Tory’s head. It sounded so much like his, just more majestic and bold. “You must learn to relax Tory, just let yourself go…”

“Who are you?” Tory asked the voice, worried that another villain might be trying to take him down. “How do you know me?!”

The voice did not reply, and the silence worried Tory. His energy left him, and he fell to the floor, panting. His vision remained dim, but he was vaguely aware of the alicorn in front of him. A massive weight landed on his shoulder, and Tory cried out in pain. The weight was quickly removed, and he forced his body to turn so he could look at the alicorn.

There was something familiar about the figure, but Tory couldn’t identify who it was, as he couldn’t see clearly. He tried to ask for help again, but all of his energy was gone, and his voice wouldn’t come. The figure turned around, and rushed down the corridor, hopefully to go find help.

Tory felt the last of his energy leave, him and he closed his eyes again. He let the exhaustion take over him, and passed out once more…

I.I.I

“Someone has a flair for the overdramatic, don’t you think?” came the majestic voice. “Have you been taking lessons from Rarity?”

Opening his eyes, Tory saw he was back within the Cloister of Love, in the final room where the statue of Two Tail was. Getting to his feet, he looked around, hoping to find the voice of the one who knocked him out. Upon inspection, Tory found the large room was empty, and that the voice seemed to come from the walls.

“Show yourself!” Tory called out, issuing his challenge. “Or are you a coward?”

“Only about as much as you,” the voice laughed, echoing around the room once more. “Drop the tough guy act Tory, it doesn’t suit you.”

The statue of Tails glowed brightly for a second, blinding Tory. As it died down, he could feel a strong presence about him. The scent of pine struck his nose, and he smiled. Things had taken an interesting turn for him. A being could only have the same magical scent as another if one of two conditions were met. The first, being that both were twins, and the second, that one was reborn into the second’s form.

“Let me guess,” Tory started, regaining his vision. “Split Ends, I presume?”

“I don’t know, do I have two tails and carry the scent of pine?”

Tory looked at the owner of the voice with a grin. Standing in front of him was a deep green alicorn with spiky, dark brown hair. His eyes were a light shade of blue, and they held a playful gleam in them. His two tails flowed out behind him slowly, some of the spikes curling up as a wave passed over them. Yep, this was definitely Two Tail.

“I see you’re a smartass like me,” Tory commented.

“Don’t you mean like ME?” Tails replied, puffing out his chest. “After all, I came before you.”

“True,” the human nodded. “But anyways, were you the one that called me? Couldn’t wait until I was asleep, huh?”

“You’ll live,” the green alicorn said dismissively. “And yes, I did call you. I thought you might like to actually meet your old self.”

“Well if you’re anything like the new version,” Tory started, crossing his arms and putting his weight on his left leg. “You’re probably a prick, enjoy being idiotic, spoiling everypony’s fun, and have no idea what to do most of the time. Am I right?”

“Depends,” Tails told him. “Do YOU spend your life doing those things?”

“…Okay I give up, you’re me and I’m you!” Tory said, shrugging. “So, now what?”

“…Want to spar?” the green alicorn suggested.

“Sure,” Tory said adopting his fighting stance from his old days when he took karate.

The stance was a simple one really. Tory turned his body 90* to the right, and extended his left arm down along his side, slightly bent, and a bit out. His right arm was raised to his left shoulder, and slowly moved back and forth between his face and chest. His left foot was angled towards Tails, and his right foot was facing the same direction as his body. Tory shifted his weight between each leg every second slowly, but he was always moving, ready for anything.

Tails looked at him strangely, and crouched down. He extended his left hoof forward. His hair spiked out even more, standing on end and releasing small electric bolts. His eyes still held that playful gleam though. He showed his teeth, which looked to have fangs, making Tory wonder what else the alicorn had lying in wait for him.

“Just try not to kill me, okay?” Tory smirked.

“Then don’t hold back!” Tails cried out as he lunged at the human.

Tory used his lowered hand to deflect the charging alicorn, and used his right hand to grab his tails, and spin him around. Two Tail was flung across the room, draining most of Tory’s strength with the throw, as he had not anticipated Tails to be so heavy. The alicorn twisted in the air, and landed on all four hooves, skidding on the floor with the momentum.

Tory used a bit of magic to recharge his arm, something he’d been trying to get down for a good while now, so he could fight longer and harder. The technique wasn’t finished, as it drained more power and gave less energy, but it was still something. Tory had also developed a reverse technique for when he was fighting a magic user. He wanted to be ready for any sort of situation. The second one was already finished, giving more magic for less strength.

Returning to his former stance, Tory awaited Tails’ next attack, which would most likely come from the side, as the human often found that strategy worked pretty good. The issue was figuring out which side the alicorn would come from. If he turned one way to early, he would leave his other side completely exposed. And while the stance could be mirrored, Tory had difficulty working like that.

The alicorn silently slipped around Tory, using the shadows to make his dark coat blend in. He managed to get all the way behind the human, and then bared his fangs. Tails slowly crept up to Tory, and jumped his back, catching him completely off-guard.

Tory had not anticipated a back attack, even though most all sneak attacks came from behind. He was so focused on the concept of Tails being like HIM, that he forgot the alicorn had more fighting experience than he did. Tory only had two years worth, and his classes had only been on two days out of the week, sometimes cancelled if there was another event going on, since their dojo was a school gymnasium.

Acting instinctively, Tory reached behind him and threw Tails over his shoulder, adding magic to his strength to increase the impact of the alicorn hitting the ground. Two Tail, hit the stone floor…hard! The actual impact cracked the floor and sent a vibration along the walls.

“Gah!” Tails cried out in pain.

“Leave no room to recover!” Tory thought to himself.

He charged at the alicorn, and grabbed his mane, throwing him into the air. Using his silver wings, the human charged after him, and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to Tails’ stomach. The green alicorn flew backwards, but Tory didn’t stop there.

The human flew at him with a speed that could rival Rainbow Dash, and sent a weak uppercut at his face. Tails careened into one of the walls, and shook his head, snorting out some dust that had landed on his muzzle. It was time to get serious!

The green alicorn warped behind Tory, and bucked him down onto the ground. Tails then proceeded to charge at him, spiraling as he nosedived towards the ground. Tory’s back crashed into the stone floor, and something in him snapped. The human cried out in pain, but gritted his teeth as he wasn’t going to be brought down by a small injury like that.

Looking up, Tory say Tails charging at him, and rolled to the side, skidding into a crouch. Two Tail landed with a loud thump, and turned to the human. The two of them locked eyes, each showing an intensity that could almost rival Fluttershy’s patented ‘Stare’. Literal sparks lept from their eyes, and collided midway, creating a slightly larger spark that created a small glow around the room..

Tory slowly got up, and pulled out his daggers. He forgot he had them with him up until now. Getting into a low stance, the human held both blades upside down, and crossed his arms in an ‘X’ fashion. He balanced all of his weight on his back leg, and waited for Tail to make the first move.

Tory had never really trained with weapons before, only practiced using them on that wooden dummy of his. He lacked the knowledge on how to use a blade efficiently, and that was going to hurt him. His only real battle knowledge came from the one lesson Tory had actually taken to heart in his classes: ‘Let your enemy come to you. Block, then strike while they are open.’ It was a simple, but effective strategy.

As expected Two Tail charged at him. The only thing that caught Tory off was the weaving he did as he dashed forward. One second he was on the left, the next he was on the right. The second after he was on the left- nope on the right again! The feinting eventually got to Tory, and he fell for Tails’ trick. The alicorn jumped at his exposed side, and knocked the blades from his hands.

Falling to the ground, Tory did something that only animals ever did: he exposed his stomach. It was a simple concept really. The first part was to make your enemy think you’re giving up, the second was to catch them with their guard down, and deal a finishing blow.

It had the desired effect, as Tails dropped out of his fighting stance, and slowly walked over to Tory. He extended a hoof, which the human took. He gripped the alicorn’s hoof tightly, and grinned visciously. Tossing Two Tail into the air, Tory used his magic to draw his daggers to him, glad for the moment to catch his breath. He looked up to see a furious alicorn glaring at him.

“That was a dirty trick!” Tails snapped at him.

“All is fair in love and war!” Tory called back. “C’mon, you should’ve known I’d pull a little trick like that!”

“That’s it! No more Mr. Nice Pony!” The green alicorn shouted angrily.

Tails, began to radiate with his magical energy, actually creating an aura around him. Tory saw he was charging up for a massive magic blast, and decided now was the perfect time to pull a classic skill out of his anime arsenal. The human crouched low to the ground, and brought his hands together, palms open, and fingers extended partially like two claws. He placed the ends of his palms together, and brought his hands behind him, keeping his gaze on Tails. Then Tory began to call out the familiar words that almost any older fan of anime would know about…

“KA-A-A, ME-E-E, HA-A-A, ME-E-E!” Tory began, shouting out and storing a massive amount of his magic in his hands. They began to glow as the energy seeped ouward, making a ball of white light shine from his hands. Beams of light surged past his fingers, illuminating the walls.

“I REFUSE TO LET MYSELF BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!!!” Tails cried out, aiming his horn at Tory. “THIS IS MY STRONGEST SPELL!!! GRAND BURST!!!”

Tails released all of the magic into one giant blast, creating an extremely large ball of energy that raced towards the human. Tory was unfazed though, and actually grinned at how familiar this scenario was. It was almost like living the show! Tory let the blast reach a certain point, then extended his hands outward, and aimed the ball of energy at it.

“HA-A-A-A-A-A!!!” Tory finished, letting all of his power surge outward. A great white beam erupted from the ball, and charged at the opposing magic attack.

The two forces of energy colloded, and sent a shockwave around the room, shaking Tory and Tails to their bones. Both attacks kept trying to force the other one back, but since Tory’s was a constant stream of energy, he could put more behind it. The downside would be him unable to counter quickly if the alicorn managed to dodge and strike. Of course, Tails could also add more power to his by throwing more energy at the ball, but it would drain him too. Tory didn’t really have a choice now, since he had to either force this attack away, or let his energy run out and be obliterated.

“God I’m blessed when it comes to cheating,” Tory whispered to himself with a smile. His eyes grew fierce, and a red aura began to glow around him. “KAIO KEN TIMES THREE!!!”

The sudden surge of power within Tory fueled his attack, creating a bulge along the beam of energy that flowed up to the end, and sent Tails’ blast backwards, splitting it in two and causing an explosion that engulfed the whole room. Tory lost his focus as the blast swept him away, and his own attack was cut off.

As the smoke in the room cleared, both Tails and Tory looked about to see the room had barely sustained a scratch from the explosion. That confused the hell out of Tory, since he sent Tails into the floor and cracked it! Just what was the alicorn’s head made of anyways, adamantine?!

“Wow,” Tory huffed as he realized how tired he was. “Goku…really…goes crazy…with that skill!… He‘s got… so much energy!”

“How the…hell?” Tails asked, also breathing heavily. “How…did you…manage…to stop my…best attack?!”

“I don’t know!” Tory said, laughing tiredly.

Still laughing, the human fell back onto the floor. Tails slowly limped over as well, and flopped down beside him. The two layed there for what felt like hours, just trying to catch their breaths. Eventually, Tory broke the silence.

“So, shoud we…call it a draw?” he asked.

“I think so…” the alicorn replied tiredly.

Moving to a sitting position, Tory held out a hand, which Tails accepted. They shook once, and got off the cold floor. The human stretched his back, and felt his spine pop into place, still sore from his earlier impact onto the hard ground. The alicorn stretched his legs, weak from all of the fighting that had been done.

“Jeez, I pray that nopony felt all the energy we released here,” Tory said worriedly.

“They shouldn’t,” came Tails’ reply. “This is all just a mindscape I made for us to talk in. If any power was released, your body expelled it like it was air. You should be fine, just try not to do anything drastic for a while, like go across enemy lines!”

“So you know huh?” Tory asked, scratching behind his head. “Let me guess, you’ve been watching all of my life as though it was some sort of TV show?”

“That’s about right,” the alicorn nodded. “I know everything you know, and then some. That was something I wanted to talk to you about actually.”

“Oh?” came the human’s question, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“Yeah, since you got some of my memories, I’m able to communicate with you now,” Tail explained leisurely. “Now that I get to add my two cents in, maybe you’ll actually do some good with your life.”

“And I haven’t already?” Tory joked.

“The only good thing you had going for you was Fluttershy, then Rainbow, and then that short time with Luna.” Two Tail commented. “Besides that, you sucked completely at everything else!”

“Cut me some slack man,” Tory argued playfully. “I’m still young and learning!”

“Whatever,” the alicorn said dismissively. “But anyways, it’s time to send you back. Celestia and the others must be going crazy right now, wondering what made you collapse.”

“Um, am I allowed to tell them about you?” Tory asked curiously. “Or would it be better to keep my ‘inner me’ a secret?”

“I don’t really care either way,” Tails shrugged.

With that, Tory blinked once, and the room vanished. It was completely replaced by a white light glaring in from a window. Getting up, the human’s body shrieked, a testament to the dream Tory just had. Looking around, he noticed Fluttershy by his bed once more, asleep and looking like she had been crying. He reached out to stroke her soft hair, but he pulled it back, not wanting to wake her.

“I’ll let her sleep for now,” Tory thought to himself. “She’ll be glad to know that we won’t have to leave for enemy territory…yet.”

Letting his head fall back on the pillow, Tory turned towards his wife, so beautiful and amazing. Her soft breathing made him smile, and the adorable expression on her face just made him want to pull her in and kiss her. He kept his emotion in check though, knowing it could wait until later. Thinking like that made him sad though, as he never had to restrain himself when it came to Fluttershy, or any of his loves.

“You’ll get over it,” came Tails’ voice, so much like Tory’s. “Get some more sleep. Your body is exhausted from the strain you put on it while we sparred…And yes, before you ask, you did feel everything that happened. Your mind believed it was real, so it perceived all of the actions and used energy accordingly.”

Tory didn’t even feel like thinking right now, knowing his thoughts weren’t private any more. This was going to be a pain. He had no privacy left now. And something told him that this alicorn would be a talkative one. Tory was after all, so that meant he was as well. With a sigh, he let his eyes close and took once last glance at his wife…HIS wife. Damn, it felt good to say that.

“I imagine,” replied Two Tail. “Just don‘t let yourself become so blindly devoted to her that you can‘t focus on anything else!”

Tory ignored that last comment, and let sleep claim him. He wasn’t going to let somepony else tell him how to run his life, even if it was…himself? That was confusing still. Either way, Tory would run his marriage and his life the way he wanted to, and nopony had a say otherwise…beside Fluttershy. It was just the two of them versus the world…

I.I.I

“Hmmm, he wasn’t at Fluttershy’s and I don’t know where he would go,” Rainbow Dash thought to herself aloud.

“Maybe Tory is at Twilight’s or Rarity’s place?” Derpy suggested, speaking louder.

The two pegasi have been searching for Tory all day, and not a single pony had even seen him. But Ditzy was enjoying being with a friend. She was slowly getting more confidence in her voice, and was building a solid friendship with Rainbow. The two of them had spent all day getting to know each other. At one point, Ditzy had said she needed to make a delivery, and Rainbow had decided that their search could be put on hold so she could help. That had really made the gray-ish pegasus’ day, hearing her say that.

“Good thinking Derpy,” Rainbow said, smiling at her friend. “Now, which would Tory visit?…Twilight! He has to send her off to that mountain pass in the morning! He might be helping her and Cory prepare!”

The two pegasi dashed off, heading straight for the library. As they approached, Ditzy took the lead, and naturally crashed into the front door. She fell onto her flank, and Spike opened the door. He looked at Derpy and Rainbow with a strange curiosity.

“Um, do you two need Twilight, or are you here to read?” he asked.

“Just wanna know one thing,” Rainbow told him, walking past the small dragon. She looked around, and became disappointed when she saw the place was empty. “Dang it, he’s not here either!”

“Who, Cory?” Spike questioned. “He and Twilight are spending the night at the castle since they’re going on that one thing tomorrow.”

“…That’s it, the castle!” Ditzy said, coming up to Rainbow. “Maybe Tory is still at the castle!”

“You’re looking for Tory?” Spike asked them, getting annoyed that they were ignoring him. “Why, do you need him for something?”

“Just to talk,” Rainbow Dash told him bluntly.

“Oh, I see,” the small dragon said with a smile. He walked over to one of the smaller shelves, and pulled out a dark green whistle with a gold insignia on the side. “If you want, I can call him up for you?”

“How, with that?” the blue pegasus asked, pointing at the whistle.

“Yeah, Tory made it for Twilight and me in case he was off somewhere and we needed to call him back,” Spike explained. “He said that it works pretty easily. Just blow into the whistle, and it opens a portal that leads directly to him.”

“When did he have time to make that?” Ditzy asked curiously.

“Well, he made it with his magic, so I assume it took him like, five seconds to make it,” Spike shrugged. “He did it shortly after he came back from the Cloister. Made a…what did he call it?…Clone, that’s it! He made a copy of himself and sent it over to assist in some extra defense preparation. This whistle is just the tip of the iceberg actually.”

“Huh?” came Rainbow’s reply.

“You see, he said that recently, his attacks from Discord have been getting worse, so he’s been trying to learn a few spells to keep the guy out,” the purple dragon told them. “Said something about a force field spell, and then he walked off with one of Twilight’s books. It was a very detailed volume too, so he must be trying something very difficult. The only spell that he could probably use is that massive force field spell that can cloak large areas. It’s the least complicated out of all of them”

“When did you get so smart Spike?” Rainbow asked.

“I live…in a library,” came the dragon’s monotone reply. “What do you think I have around here to do after cleaning? I don’t really have friends in this town! I just sit at the table and flip through the books!”

“Okay there, easy Spike,” the blue pegasus said casually. “Just askin’.”

“Right, well do you want me to call Tory or not?” he asked, drawing them back to the whole purpose of their visit.

“Um, yes please,” Ditzy asked quietly.

Taking the whistle in two fingers, Spike blew into it. Not a sound came out, but a portal spawned in front of them. A second later, the human that Rainbow had been searching for stepped through, looking around. He turned his gaze to Spike, who was at his feet. The small dragon waved at him, and pointed at Rainbow. Tory looked in her direction, and his eyes softened a bit. Rainbow looked away, trying to avoid his gaze. Now that he was in front of her, the blue pegasus wasn’t sure if she could go through with it. Too late now though!

“I’m guessing you wanted to talk Rainbow,” he said, getting eye level with her.

“Um, right,” she agreed. She looked at Ditzy and Spike, and the two nodded, leaving the room. As they closed the outside door behind them, Tory smiled. “Um, how should I say this?”

“I wouldn’t say anything yet,” Tory stopped her, holding out a hand. He walked over to the door, and quickly yanked it open, causing Spike and Ditzy to fall on the floor. “Not when we’ve got two little spies at the door.”

“How did you…?” Spike trailed off.

“Gut feeling,” Tory replied simply. He opened a portal, and motioned for them to walk through. “Go on you two. She wants to talk in private, so respect her wishes. This little portal will make sure you do. It’ll send you out to the edge of town, with five extra pound weights attached to your limbs. Don’t ask why, you’ll see in about…ten minutes.”

Rainbow watched as her friend and Spike walked through reluctantly. She knew what Tory had done. He added the weights so that they would use energy faster, and would be forced to slow down sooner, to keep going. It was a fun little exercise that she’d gone through back at Flight Camp.

“Now then, just to make sure we’re completely unheard,” Tory said slowly, raising his arms. The walls gained a strange sheen to them, and he smiled at Rainbow. “I just soundproofed the walls, no one outside can hear anything we say. Getting back to business, you wanted to talk with me?”

“Um, right,” she started again. “Well, I know that lately I’ve been avoiding you, and I bet you know why?” Tory nodded. “It’s just that, since you have Fluttershy back, you and I can’t…”

“I know,” he said shaking his head. “I also know what you’re going to say next. You’re about to tell me to stop loving you, that I should forget about you and get on with my life, am I right?”

“Mind reading?” the blue pegasus guessed.

“Nope, took a shot in the dark,” he replied smiling at her. Then his expression became serious. “But the thing is, I can’t do that, not to you Rainbow Dash. I know we only spent a few days together, and that’s normally not enough time to build a relationship, but I DO feel something towards you! I’ve known who you were a good amount of time before you met me, and back then I thought you were just amazing. When I got to experience the real deal, I just…went head over heels! You can’t expect me to just give up on all of that, do you?”

“Well, no but-”

“Rainbow Dash,” Tory cut her off, indicating that the question was rhetorical. “I have no intentions of giving you up! Just because I have Fluttershy doesn’t mean I should just throw away everything you and I had! That would be like me asking you to give up every single happy memory you have! I know you wouldn’t do that, so please Rainbow, don’t ask me to forget you!”

“But Tory, you’re married!” she argued.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t stay friends!” he countered. “Yeah, things will be a bit awkward at first, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try!”

“But the more I’m near you…” Rainbow trailed off.

Tory slowly moved his hand over to her, and slowly lifted her head to face him. He kissed Rainbow gently on the lips, putting all of his passion for her into it, and making her blush. She looked into his eyes, and they pierced her soul. He smiled at Rainbow, and she turned away, trying not to succumb to the temptation.

“Listen Rainbow Dash,” Tory said once more. “Maybe we can’t be together, but let’s at least try to be friends, okay? That right there was just a parting gift, something to remember our time together…C’mon, let’s go for a fly around Ponyville. I want to show you something.”

Tory walked out the door, with Rainbow close behind him. He jumped into the air, and flew straight up. The blue pegasus followed his lead, and soared into the sky. They traveled upward for a few minutes, until the human stopped and angled himself down back at the town. Rainbow slowed as she neared him, and looked down at what he was staring at. She gasped at what she saw.

“That right there is something I thought might help the town,” Tory explained. “It’s not perfect, but it keeps away all the things that go bump in the night.”

Covering the entire town was a large turquoise sphere of energy. It shifted upward at a fast pace, showing the amount of power behind it. At certain spots, the sphere changed colors, from red, to orange, to yellow, and back. Rainbow looked at Tory in awe.

“Yup, it’s a force field, made in our colors.” he smiled at her. “The main color is a combo of your natural appearance, and of my magical power. The smaller, interchanging colors represent your hair, and how unique it is. You are the most loyal, most brave pegasus I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing! It only seemed right for your colors to help protect the town we love so much, you know?”

“But, doesn’t this drain your magic?” Rainbow asked, knowing that no magic spell was permanent.

“Barely,” Tory replied. “I have smaller ones going around me, you, Fluttershy, and the rest of our friends. So far, I’ve barely felt any drain in my power. Even now, I’m actually gaining energy, instead of losing it. It took some time to work out the details, but I got it JUST right!”

“But…But…” the blue pegasus trailed off, not knowing what to say to all of this.

“Look at this,” Tory said, raising his hand towards the large sphere around the town. He focused his thoughts for a second, and the colors began to change.

The turquoise changed to a soft purple, and the red deepened. The orange and yellow looked unchanged, and Rainbow smiled. Not only was Tory protecting the whole town, but he was doing it in style! Rarity would be proud if she knew!

“I tampered with the spell a bit to alter colors as the light hits it at certain angles. Most anypony won’t see the force field, but it’ll still be there,” Tory told her, grinning all the while. “Just a little something to help keep the ones I love safe. And by that, I don’t just mean Fluttershy. I’m not even talking about Grace, or Cory, or any of the others. I also mean you Rainbow Dash.”

The blue pegasus turned away, unable to hide the blush on her face. Tory gently flew over, and wrapped his arms protectively around her. She looked up into his piercing blue eyes, and found she couldn’t break away from them. Tears began to blur Rainbow’s vision, and Tory smiled at her.

“I’m never gonna stop loving you Rainbow,” he whispered into her ear, tickling her. “That’s a promise. But I know we can’t be together. Please, just tell me that we can still be friends?”

“…Of course Tory,” she whispered back, turning in his arms. She kissed him lightly on the lips, and flew out of his embrace. “We can still be friends.”

Giving a big smile with a thumbs up [and adding a bit of a flash when the sun bounced off his white teeth (Gai-smile!)], Tory turned back towards the town, and motioned for her to follow. As they descended back towards the library, Rainbow noticed two figures also making their way there. She smiled, recognizing them as Spike and Derpy.

“I got them,” he said, smiling at her. He snapped his fingers, and the two of them fell onto the ground.

Landing beside them, Rainbow noticed the weights were gone. Both of them were panting lightly, Spike was even cursing Tory for making him work so hard. The human simply laughed, saying the exercise would be a good way to work off those gems he ate everyday. This made Rainbow laugh, and that got Derpy going.

“Hey, who’s laughing without me?!” came an all too familiar bubbly voice. “Nopony had better be telling ‘knock knock’ jokes without MY permission! I lOVE those!”

Pinkie Pie charged at them from out of nowhere, being followed by an auburn pegasus. He looked somewhat familiar to Tory, but he couldn’t place it. As the two of them neared, the human noticed that Pinkie wasn’t slowing down. He knew what she was about to do.

“What Pinkie, don’t jump me! I‘ve got an injured ba-aack!” Tory tried warned her. His warning fell on deaf ears though, as she crashed into him, enveloping him in a death hug. “Gah! Ow my back!”

“Oh Tory there you are!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I’ve been looking for you for like, the whole day, and I tried searching for you at the castle but they wouldn’t let me in, don’t you think that was rude of them, oh they were just doing their job I know but still, we need to throw a party for all of you and Fantasia and Derpy!”

“We can…talk…after you…let me go!” Tory gasped out. As the pink earth pony let go, he jumped into the air where she couldn’t grab him. Catching his breath, Tory looked at her carefully. “OW! I tried to tell you my back is hurt!…No Tails, I’m not going to prank her!”

“Um, who are you talking to,” Rainbow asked.

“Just arguing with myself again,” he said so casually. This made Ditzy bust out laughing. “What?…Oh, right. You probably think I’m crazy, don’t you? I’ll explain later.”

“I don’t think you’re crazy,” came a slightly commanding voice. They all turned to the strange pegasus that had followed Pinkie.

“W-who are you?” Tory asked.

The pegasus looked at him with his multi-colored eyes, the right one was red, the left was green. His right eye twitched once, and he turned in that direction, muttering something under his breath. Tory felt something weird about this guy. He was kind of creepy. But then again, HE had no right to judge, as the human had an old alicorn of legend inside of his head.

“The name’s Raven Smite, liutenant of both pegasi generals of the Equestrian militia!” he said, puffing out his chest. “I was talking with um, Pinkie was it?…Anyways, I was talking with her when she suddenly dashed off without warning. I followed, expecting some sort of tragic incident.”

“That would explain things,” Tory nodded. “That’s where I remember you from, you were there at the war meeting, standing off to the side. You know your generals suck completely?”

“Preaching to the choir,” Raven sighed. “They haven’t been able to agree on anything, ever. I was glad when you came in. Probably saved our flanks back there.”

“Just trying to help,” Tory told him calmly. “Don’t want to see Equestria fall into those Griffon’s claws.”

“Right,” the pegasus nodded. He looked over at Ditzy, and something in his eyes sparked for a second. Tory was the only one to notice. Raven walked over to her, bowing formally in front of her. “Hello, who might you be?”

“D-Ditzy Doo,” she said nervously. “Um, wh-what’s w-wrong?”

“Nothing,” Raven replied with a smile. “I was just caught by your exquisite beauty.”

The suddenness of that statement caught all of them by surprise, except for Tory. He was growing used to strange occurrences around him. Having fought a legendary demon twice, and then proceeded to fight with a legendary alicorn, having traveled between worlds, watching his lover be revived…it was going to take a lot more than a simple pick-up line to surprise the human.

“O-oh m-my,” Ditzy stammered in an adorable way. She was still so shy. “I-I ummm…”

“Shhh,” Raven said soothingly, placing a hoof over her mouth. “No need to talk. Your lovely eyes say it all.”

“Smooth!” both Tails and Tory thought. Then the alicorn interrupted, ticking Tory off. “He’s definitely got more skill than you!”

Ignoring that comment, Tory just let the scene unfold in front of him. Ditzy was blushing madly while the rest of the group watched, completely stunned. This guy worked fast. He was already asking her if she wanted to go on a date. The gray-ish pegasus looked at Tory, who smiled and nodded. He had no idea why she looked at him, but something didn’t feel right suddenly. The human shrugged it off as he watched Ditzy walk away with Raven.

“Hey peeps, what’s happening?” came Cory’s voice from behind them.

Everypony and Tory turned to look at him, who was carrying two large grocery bags. The puffy-haired human looked from one face to the next, confused as to why they held such shocked looks on their faces. Tory could barely suppress his laughter at this.

“Well, a pegasus just asked Derpy to go on a date with him,” Tory explained. “He just took one look at her and played the smooth move guy. They just walked away.”

“Wait…what?” Cory asked, doing a double take. “Did I hear you right? Did you just say…somepony asked Derpy on a date…out of the blue?”

“Eeyup,” Tory said, mimicking Big Macintosh.

“I need to hear this!” the afro-lover exclaimed, and quickly dropped his bags inside the library. He rushed back out, and pointed a finger at Tory. “TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!!”

“I can’t really,” Tory admitted. “I shouldn’t even be about right now. I need to get back to the castle before Fluttershy wakes up. What would she say if she found out I left the castle without waking her? I can’t hurt her like that.”

With that, Tory opened a portal, and stepped through. Cory looked from one pony to the next, eventually stopping at Pinkie Pie. He shouted for her to tell the story, which she did with exuberance. The rest of them just went back to whatever they were doing before. All except Rainbow Dash, who trotted away happily, humming to herself…

I.I.I

Down at the local café, Ditzy was chatting with Raven, still a bit nervous around him. He kept asking questions about what she liked and what her hobbies were. Every now and then, one of his eyes would twitch, he’d turn in that direction and start muttering something.

“So, you like muffins?” Raven asked her. “I’m a big muffin fan myself!”

“Th-that’s nice,” Ditzy said quietly. She looked at his flank, and noticed his weird mark.

It held a shield with two strange swords crossing. The shield was white along the border, and blue in the center. It held a strange archaic symbol with three triangles forming a larger one in the center. The left blade was wide with a weird black hilt, and held a strange round part near the top and back of the blade. The right sword was a simple katana but it also had a different piece along the back of the blade. Looking closer, Ditzy could see that both hilts had what looked like a trigger of some sort.

“Oh, seen my cutie mark have ya?” Raven asked, noticing where her eyes were focused. “I can’t quite explain the mark itself, but it basically means I’m really good at crafting and using special weapons.”

“Y-you’re a smith?” Ditzy asked him.

“Only in my spare time,” the pegasus answered. “It’s sort of my hobby. My main job is to protect Equestria from foreign attacks. I‘m always on the front lines.”

“Th-that sounds…hard,” the gray-ish pegasus whispered.

“Not really,” Raven smiled at her. “Just a bit dull every now and then, when the griffons are silent. The pay is really good though.”

To prove his point, Raven picked up the bill, and carried it to the counter, where he handed the cashier the required amount of bits, plus a thirty percent tip (Yes, Raven is trying to show off). He returned to the table, and pulled Ditzy’s chair out for her, like a gentlecolt.

“O-oh, th-thank you,” she blushed, getting up.

“Are you okay?” the pegasus asked her. “You seem to be upset about something.”

“It’s…It’s nothing,” Ditzy said, shaking her head.

Raven escorted Ditzy home, saying goodnight before he went back to the inn he was staying at. Collapsing on his bed, the auburn pegasus smiled at the day he just had. He hadn’t expected to come to Ponyville, and see such a beautiful mare beside…CRAP!

Raven slammed his hoof into his forehead, remembering the whole purpose that he came to this town in the first place. He was supposed to inform Rainbow Dash to go to the castle for an important meeting with Princesses Luna and Celestia. Getting to his hooves, Raven, galloped out the door, and headed straight for Cloudsdale…

I.I.I

“Fluttershy…Beautiful…Time to wake up,” came a soft voice beside the golden pegasus.

Something nudged her gently in the side, and she turned over. Opening her eyes, Fluttershy saw shockingly blue eyes in front of her, shining with warmth. She smiled, and reached over, wrapping her hooves around Tory’s neck. Evidently, she had crawled into his bed during the night and snuggled up to him to keep warm. He kissed her softly on the lips, letting her scent wrap around him.

Stretching slowly, Fluttershy got out of bed, and walked over to the window. She opened it, and was greeted by a warm breeze that promised a pleasant day. Her soft pink hair flowed out behind her, covering the room with the scent of rose. Tory could barely contain himself, looking at his beautiful wife. The sun and the breeze made Fluttershy look so gorgeous. Her smile warmed his heart so much, and the look in her eyes just caught his breath.

“What a beautiful morning,” the golden pegasus said, looking at her husband. “It’s almost like all of Equestria is at peace.”

“When it wakes up to you, Equestria would do anything,” Tory told her, running his fingers through her lovely hair. She giggled as he did that. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. “Just like I would do anything for you.”

“Q-quit Tory!” Fluttershy giggled, trying to shy away from him. “T-that tickles!”

“Only because you asked, Mrs. Mills,” he said playfully, stressing her name. “How does that sound, Mrs. Fluttershy Mills?”

“…I love it!” the golden pegasus exclaimed quietly, turning towards her husband.

She wrapped her hooves around Tory’s waist, forcing him to stop moving. That led to him falling onto the floor, and Fluttershy laughing. As he shifted to a comfortable postion, the human decided to use his wing to tickle her, and she rolled on the floor laughing so hard that her side hurt.

Okay, I give!” Fluttershy gasped in between laughs. “Hahahahaha please Tory, I can’t breathe!”

“All you had to do was ask,” Tory whispered into her ear, stroking her soft mane.

Before they could continue though, a few knocks came from the door. Tory got up quickly, causing his back to cry out in protest. Opening the door, he was quickly greeted by one of Princess Celestia’s royal guards. The stallion handed him a slip of paper, bowed, and walked away. Closing the door, he walked over to the bed, where he sat down beside his beloved. He unfolded the slip, and slowly read out the message:

Dear Tory and Fluttershy Mills,

I have reviewed recent events, and found that your marriage ceremony was not a pleasant one. Taking into consideration recent events, I have decided that we will redo the entire wedding, allowing both of you to actually enjoy this one. This will be one to remember, with all of Equestria in attendance. Only the best for those that have given so selflessly to help others.

Do not worry about any details, everything is being taken care of as you are reading this. The wedding dress and tuxedo is already finished, made with love and care by your close friend Rarity. The décor is being set up by Pinkie Pie, all food is being prepared by Applejack, and each task is being overseen by Twilight Sparkle.

The wedding will be held tonight, so until then, relax by each other’s side. You two will be cared for by the best groomers and chefs Equestria has to offer. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult Raven Smite, who will be offering all of his services.

Just know that tonight will really be a night to remember…
Princess Celestia

“…Did I actually read all of that right?” Tory asked Fluttershy in surprise. “Or am I crazy?”

“It’s…It’s true Tory,” his lover said quietly. “We get to redo our wedding!”

This sunk in immediately, and the two of them cried out in joy. They bounced about, laughing and acting giddy. It was a chance to actually enjoy their marriage, the way it was supposed to be done! Their last attempt had been… depressing to say the least. Now, it seemed like the universe was smiling at them today.

“Well, what should we do first?” Tory asked his beautiful bride. “We have the whole day to ourselves.”

“Why don’t we go and look at the shops around Canterlot?” Fluttershy suggested.

Tory nodded in acceptance, not caring where he went so long as he was with his beautiful girl. The two left shortly afterwards, only delaying so Tory could shower and change into something clean. His newest pair of clothing was a pair of dark blue pants with brown strands running between the fabric, adding just a hint of the color, and a deep brown shirt.

Walking around the bustling market, Fluttershy got swept up by the crowd, and she had decided to make it into a game of hide-and-seek with Tory. They played that for about an hour, with Fluttershy stopping just outside a large shop. Tory caught up with her easily, parting the crowd with a gentle wind to ease their passage. He saw her looking in the window, and noticed that they were in front of a pet shop. Fluttershy was looking closely at one of the smaller creatures in the back.

It was a small wolf cub, barely old enough to be away from it’s mother. From the window, Tory could identify that it was a male. His coat was light gray, but the human knew it would darken as he got older. Hie left ear was torn, almost like he had an ear problem like Tory. He was shaking in his little corner, away from all of the other pets that were playing. It was upsetting to see that.

“Poor little critter,” she whispered. “He must be so sad and lonely.”

“If you want, we can go pet him or something?” Tory suggested. “If he’s lonely, then he needs to see a friendly face. And who else should he see but you, the best pony in Equestria with animals?”

“Okay!” she smiled, and bounced happily into the shop. Tory laughed at how fun she was today, and followed her in.

“Good morning!” the shopkeeper called out. It was an older mare, a gray earth pony. Her eyes widened when she recognized who they were. “…Well if it isn’t the lucky couple of the day! What brings you two into my humble shop?”

“Well, my bride was looking through the window and saw how lonely this littile guy looked,” Tory explained to her as Fluttershy went over to the large area where most of the pets were playing. “Would it be alright if she played with him, just for a few minutes?”

“Oh, little wolfie?” the shopkeeper asked. “Yeah, he’s so shy around other animals. I’ve tried every passive method I know to get him to open up, but he just shies away each time. She can play with him if he‘ll open up, even just a bit.”

“Fluttershy has spent so much of her life to animals, it shouldn’t be hard for her and the little guy to become friends fast.” Tory smiled. “She just has that personality.”

Fluttershy slowly lowered her hooves towards the wolf pup, whispering soft, soothing words to him. He shied away at first, but then he raised his right paw towards her. Tory’s eyebrows flew up when the pup did that. Was he trying to shake her hoof?

Fluttershy held out her right hoof, and the two shook for a second. She had to be good with animals to understand them based off a simple action like raising a paw. But that begged the question, when and how did this little guy learn about their ways of greeting?

Tory took a step towards them, very slowly and carefully. He didn’t want to spook the pup. As he approached, he decided to try tuning his ears to wolf. Getting down on his knees, the human extended his hand towards the wolf cub. The pup raised his emerald green eyes up to Tory, looking at him curiously.

“You’re not like the others,” the cub said in a quiet voice. “You don’t have a tail, and your hair is so short! You don’t have fur all over you…What are you?”

“I’m what they call a human,” Tory explained to the pup. “My name is Tory, what’s yours?”

“I don‘t have a name,” he whined softly. “None of the others ever talked to me, and I was taken from my mother before she had ever given me one.”

“How sad,” the human gasped. “Well, would you like me to give you one? Every creature deserves a name, you’re no exception.”

“Would you?!” the wolf asked, bouncing a bit. Tory laughed at how joyful he was.

“How about…Graypaw?” Tory suggested.

“Graypaw…” the wolf cub repeated to himself. He began to bounce again. “I like it!”

“Heheheh, I’m glad!” the human smiled.

“Um Tory,” Fluttershy started. “What just happened?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I forgot to tell you I can sort of tune my ears to different languages. I’m not quite sure how it works myself, but I’ve found it has it’s uses. Right now, me and our little friend are talking about names.”

“So, you gave him the name Graypaw?” she asked.

“Well I suggested it to him,” Tory admitted. “He is still a living being, so he should have a choice in his name.”

“This is amazing!” the shopkeeper exclaimed. “Nopony has ever managed to get him to make any sort of contact with others! You two must really be something else to do all of that!”

“It just takes a bit of understanding and love,” Fluttershy said.

“Um, Tory?” came Graypaw’s voice, catching the human’s attention. ”Is it okay if I go with you?”

“Well, I’d love to take you home with me,” Tory started. “But I don’t think I can Graypaw. I don’t have any money to make the purchase that would allow you to come with me and Fluttershy.”

“…You know what?” the shopkeeper asked after a few seconds of silence. “I don’t think anypony is going to really buy a wolf cub. And he seems kind of attached to you two, so maybe I can let you have him.”

“But, that wouldn’t be right,” Tory argued. “It’d be like cheating you out of your hard earned money!”

“No no, I insist!” she said. “Consider him my wedding gift to you, the lucky couple. Besides, you’re both well known around Equestria now. Both of you, and what you’ve done. You should be rewarded for fending off that villain Discord! Just let me see him when he’s fully grown is all I ask. I’ve been watching him since they took his mother away.”

“That reminds me,” Tory started. “How did you come across him anyways?”

“Well,” the shopkeeper began. “I found a starving wolf in an alley one day about a month ago. She was sick and pregnant, and I knew I couldn’t just leave her there! I managed to get her back here, where she gave birth to a single pup, Graypaw as you named him, and she…”

“I see,” Tory nodded solemnly.

“What is it?” The pup asked, not sure what they were talking about.

“N-nothing,” Tory lied. He turned to the cub, and smiled. “But the good news is you can come with us! How about it Graypaw?”

The wolf cub answered him by pouncing on the human. He scuffled with Graypaw for a few seconds before the pup tired out, still too young for rough playing. Tory picked up Graypaw, and held the cub in his arms. He smiled at Fluttershy, who thanked the shopkeeper once more.

Walking out of the shop, Tory suddenly realized how loud the market was. Looking around, he quickly stepped into an alley, confusing Fluttershy. When she came after him, Tory explained that wolves had a high level of hearing. All the noise of the market would hurt the cub’s sensitive ears, and the only thing the human could do was escape into the alley before the sounds overpowered Graypaw’s senses.

Yawning in a cute way, Graypaw squirmed in Tory’s hold. Fluttershy giggled at how adorable they looked together. A boy and his pet, it might be cliché, but it was still nice. Tory noticed the look in her eyes, and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Making a portal, Tory brought all three of them back to the room they had in the castle. Laying Graypaw on the bed, Tory stepped out of the room, catching Raven by surprise. The human surprised him even more by asking if they could have three meals delivered, two for the couple, and one for a wolf.

“Where did you get a wolf?” the pegasus asked, stepping into the room. He saw the cub on the bed, and lowered his voice. “…Know what? Nevermind. I’m not sure I want to know. I’ll just get the food up here. I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

I.I.I

The rest of the day had gone smooth for Tory and Fluttershy. They didn’t really leave the castle after getting Graypaw, as they didn’t want to attract too much attention with the cub, or leave him behind. ESPECIALLY not the second choice! But during the time they were in the room, some interesting things had been learned.

First off, Tory made a little magic tag for Graypaw that altered his vocal cords so he could speak their language. The cub could still talk wolf, but now he could change between the languages whenever he wanted. But that was only if he had the tag on. The moment it was removed, Graypaw wouldn’t be able to speak like them.

“This is great!” he exclaimed. “Now everypony can understand me!”

“You might want to watch it though,” Tory warned. “If others hear a wolf talk like them, they might panic.”

“Oh, okay,” Graypaw said, lowering his head. Then he snapped back up, a grin on his muzzle. “But it’s still nice! I can talk with Fluttershy now too!”

“Yep,” she agreed with a smile. “And our other friends when you meet them.”

“You mean there are more like you?” the cub asked in awe.

“Not really like us, but they are nice,” Tory admitted. “Just be careful around some of them. One of our friends is still coming to grips with the concept of magic.”

“Grace?” Fluttershy asked.

“Grace,” he agreed.

“Who’s Grace? Is she nice?” Graypaw questioned curiously.

“She’s a human like me, but she has a different personality,” Tory explained. “You’ll meet her one day.”

A knock came at their door, and Tory opened it to find Rarity standing there, her saddlebag bulging a bit. Tory smiled, and invited her in to their room. When the white unicorn saw Graypaw, she instantly became infatuated, and started cooing over him. Tory couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“His name is Graypaw,” Fluttershy told Rarity. “And he’s not like other wolves. Go ahead Graypaw, say hello.”

“…Nice to meet you,” the cub started, extending a paw nervously. “Wh-what’s your name?”

“…” Rarity just stared at Graypaw with her mouth open. Tory burst out laughing until Fluttershy cuffed him on the shoulder.

“Um Rarity, You might want to close your mouth,” the human advised, grabbing her attention. “Don’t want flies nesting in there.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she apologized, regaining control over her body. She shook the wolf cub’s paw, smiling kindly. “My name is Rarity. It’s a pleasure to meet you Graypaw.”

The pup grinned, and began asking Rarity all sorts of questions about herself. Graypaw might be nervous at first, but if he saw his owners trusted somepony then he opened up to them much more easily. Tory thought it was cool how intelligent the cub was. That was going to make things much more interesting while raising him. Graypaw wasn’t going to be just a pet, he was going to be like a brother, or maybe a son.

“Oh my,” Rarity spoke up after another second. “I almost forgot the reason I’m here! I apologize Graypaw, we will have to continue this another day.” The unicorn turned to Fluttershy, and began to open up her bag. “Time to prepare deary! You’re going to love your dress, it just screams ‘beauty and nature’!”

“Then I’ll take my leave,” Tory smiled, heading for the door.

“Why?” Fluttershy asked.

“On my world, it was considered bad luck to see a bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony,” he explained. “I’ll just wait in the hallway with Raven until it’s my turn to get ready. Hey Graypaw, want to join me?”

The wolf cub answered him by scrabbling to his paws, and jumping into the humans arms. Tory laughed kindly, and walked out of the room. Fluttershy smiled at how perfect the two looked together.

“You know,” Rarity began, grabbing the pegasus’ attention. “I never thought I’d be making a wedding dress for you darling. You used to be so shy, and avoided almost everypony that came near you. Then Tory came along… You started changing almost right away, and lost some of that shyness you had. Now look at you, so beautiful, and about to be married! Such a momentous day for you!”

Fluttershy blushed as Rarity began to outfit her in the gown. The golden pegasus was thinking about how great today had already been, and what was still to come. A single tear rolled down her face, the feeling of happiness welling up inside her.

“Oh darling, I know!”Rarity smiled, seeing her expression. She continued to adjust a part of the dress. “You’ll remember this day for the rest of your life, and think on all of the good moments that you’ve shared together.”

“And I’ll have all of my friends beside me the entire night,” Fluttershy said, looking back at the unicorn. “Or will you be hunting down Prince Blueblood?”

“Unfortunately, he’s away from Canterlot at the moment,” she huffed. “He won’t be back until tomorrow evening. But tonight isn’t about me, it’s about YOU! You and Tory! Don’t think about others, just enjoy this night with him. You’re only wedded once during life, don’t let it be spent worrying about friends.”

“If…If you say so,” Fluttershy smiled after a moment. She knew it was pointless to argue with Rarity when she was in ‘The Mood’. “Just promise me that you’ll be happy. Even if it is my wedding, my friends should be enjoying themselves.”

“Don’t worry darling,” the white unicorn nodded, flashing her a quick grin. “We’re all happy when we see something as touching as you getting married. Now then, let’s try on the headdress.”

I.I.I

Tory walked down the corridors, not really sure where he was going. Graypaw padded along at his heel, smiling happily, and tail wagging rapidly. Raven Smite hadn’t been outside the room when Tory left, so they had decided to go for a walk. The two just wandered aimlessly, only stopping to memorize certain key points so they could find their way back to the room. At the moment, they were walking down a narrow corridor that seemed familiar to Tory.

Deciding to test a theory, he turned left, then right, and right again. Sure enough, he ended up outside two large, dark doors with crescent moons on them. He smiled, then quickly turned around. At least he was slowly learning his way around the castle. He started walking forward, until he felt something tug at his leg.

“Um Tory,” Graypaw whispered, hoping nopony would hear him. “Where are we?”

“Just outside a…friend’s room,” Tory smiled, trying to find the right word for Luna. “But we can’t go in there, she’s probably busy right now.”

“Aww,” the cub whined.

Tory picked up the cub, and walked away from the doors quickly before he was noticed. He was about to be…would it be remarried, since he technically already had Fluttershy as a wife? Whatever the term, he was going to have a proper wedding with his lover, and going near Luna would stir up his feelings for her. It would be better for him to keep away, at least until things settled down.

“You’re just afraid you’ll make out with her and be caught!” Two Tail laughed inside his head.

“Stow it,” Tory growled quietly. “I don’t want to hear your crap today. Just shut up and leave until the night ends.”

“Fine, but you owe me!” the alicorn mocked. “When you fall asleep tonight, you’re going to be reliving some more of my memories. Try not to get your ass handed to you!”

Tory was about to ask what he meant when he noticed Graypaw looking at him, upset about something. He crouched down and stared into the cub’s emerald eyes. Scratching behind the wolf’s left ear, Tory asked him what was wrong.

“Why did you tell me to shut up and go away,” Graypaw asked sadly , looking down.

Tory stared at him for a second, before slamming has hand into his forehead. He forgot that he was the only one that could hear Tails. To the cub, it sounded like Tory was rebuking him for whining. The human boy shook his head, realizing that he would need to control his choice of words more carefully. It wouldn’t do to have his friends and family thinking he was angry with them for no reason.

“I wasn’t saying that to you,” Tory soothed the wolf pup. “I have a voice inside my head that I argue with. Today has been so nice, and I don’t want it ruined by him saying something rude. Don’t worry Graypaw, I’m not mad at you or anything.”

The gray cub brightened up at hearing that, and bounced a bit. Tory laughed, his liveliness was entertaining. Catching Graypaw mid bounce, he carried his pet down the hallway. He rounded a corner, and ran straight into Twilight Sparkle. They both fell to the floor, Tory’s pup landing on his paws a few feet away.

“Ow,” Tory groaned, placing a hand on his back. “That hurt.”

“Did I just walk into a brick wall?” Twilight asked, rubbing the sore spot on her face.

Are you okay Tory?” Graypaw whispered, padding up to the human.

“Did somepony say Tory?” questioned Twilight, looking around. Her eyes fell on Tory, and then she noticed the wolf cub beside him. She got up quickly and trotted over to Graypaw. “Aww, he adorable! Does he belong to you Tory?”

“Well, belong isn’t really the word I’d use,” Tory replied. “His name is Graypaw, and he’s part of the family.”

“How did you find this little guy? “she asked, never taking her eyes off the pup. “His breed isn’t found in this area!”

“Me and Fluttershy saw him in a pet shop,” he explained. “He was a bit shy and didn’t really act like the other pets. Fluttershy started talking and soothing him, then he opened right up. Didn’t you buddy?”

Graypaw looked at Tory, and nodded happily. His tail was wagging back and forth, and his emerald eyes were shining with a playful gleam. His expression was one Tory assumed asking ‘Am I allowed to talk to her?’ The human smiled, and nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said politely. He held out a paw like before. “As Tory said, my name is Graypaw.”

“He…He talks?!” Twilight exclaimed. Without hesitation, she shook his paw vigorously. The cub’s tags jingled, and jumped off his neck, landing at the purple unicorn’s side. “In all my years of research, I’ve never seen or read of a talking wolf! Quick, tell me what you think of Equestria!”

Graypaw opened his mouth, only for a high pitched wolf bark to escape. He looked confused for a second, before noticing that his tags had flown off of him. He looked at Tory, who sighed in a faux annoyed tone. He had expected this to happen, especially since it was with Twilight, the bookworm of the Mane 6.

“Graypaw doesn’t speak our language on his own Twilight,” Tory explained. “He has an impressive level of intelligence on his own, but his vocal cords aren’t capable of mimicking the way we talk. Those tags beside you, I made them so that he could talk. They’re enhanced with a low level spell that acts as a translator.”

Tory crouched down beside them, and picked up the tags. He placed them on Graypaw’s neck, and petted the cub. Ducking out of his hand, the pup swiped playfully at him. His emerald eyes shown, and he turned back to Twilight.

“He’s right,” Graypaw said, speaking calmly, even though it was obvious how energetic he was at the moment. “These tags are the only thing that allow me to speak like you ponies and Tory. I’d like to add that it’s much easier to let you guys know things this way.”

“Now if only I had a better spell,” Tory muttered, flicking the pieces of metal. “I’d be able to make the effects permanent, or at least less likely to be separated from you.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Twilight reassured him. “You’ve done good up until now, so why let something like this trip you up?”

“True,” he agreed. Then his mind snapped into focus, and he wondered something. “Um, why were you on your way to Luna’s room?”

“Well I have to tell her it’s almost time and to get ready…” the purple unicorn started. Then she realized what she was saying and shut her mouth. Her expression was a guilty one, as her eyes avoided Tory’s gaze. “I mean um, was this the way to Princess Luna’s room? I thought I was going to Princess Celestia’s! Thank you for telling me that Tory, I’ll just be on my way now!”

Before the human had a chance to ask her anymore questions, like ‘what are you hiding,’ she galloped away, and rounded the first left corner she saw. Tory shook his head, knowing that she was keeping something from him. He didn’t want to press it though. Everypony had secrets, and even he was no exception. If they didn’t want to tell him, he had no right to force them. After all, Tory wouldn’t want that done to himself, and he was raised based on one belief: ‘Do unto others as you’d have done unto you.’ They were good words to live by.

“Well. I guess we should head back to the room and get my tuxedo, huh Graypaw?” Tory asked, looking down at the wolf cub.

“Um, what is so special about today?” the little gray pup asked. “Is something big happening?”

“Majorly,” Tory replied quickly and happily. “Do you know what a wedding is?” The cub nodded, which surpised the human. He hadn’t expected this little guy, who was maybe a month old, to know so much about a culture that he wasn’t a part of. “Well me and Fluttershy are to be married today…Well, remarried. The first time had been under depressing circumstances, but our good Princess Celestia has decided we should try again, and make things right. Honestly, I think this was a good idea. Fluttershy deserves nothing but the best, and this definitely counts as ‘best’.”

“I’m happy for you!” Graypaw exclaimed, jumping on him. “Nothing but the best for you too Tory!”

“Heheheh, thanks,” Tory said, laughing as he held his pup close to him. Then his expression changed as something crossed his mind. “…You know, I just realized something. I don’t have a best man, or a ring-bearer, or anything. Where am I going to find someone or somepony to take those positions on such short notice?”

“Oh, oh,” Graypaw spoke up in his arms, shaking excitedly. “Can I be best man?”

“I don’t think so,” Tory replied with a laugh. “You’d have to give a speech at the reception, and you still don’t know much about me or Fluttershy. If the position is open, you can be the ring-bearer, does that sound good?”

“Okay,” the cub agreed with a nod. “But…do you have any rings?”

That stopped Tory dead in his tracks. Rings, he forgot about those! How the hell was he going to get two before the ceremony?! He still had to prepare, and that would take up all of his remaining free time! Thinking quickly, Tory made a portal that would take him straight to Twilight. She was in charge of the preparations, maybe she had already figured something out?

Walking through it with Graypaw, Tory saw that he was in the throne room, right beside the purple unicorn. In front of him was Pinkie Pie and Rarity. She must’ve finished getting Fluttershy ready. The three of them looked at him in surprise. Tory turned to Twilight, and got down to eye level with her.

“Twilight, I realized something,” he started. “I don’t have any rings for the event! Please tell me you’ve got something, or at least an idea!”

“Is that it?” she chuckled, smiling at him. “Your look had me really worried for a second. Yes, we’ve got rings ready. Rarity, Princess Celestia, and I spent a good five hours getting them ready. Don’t worry Tory, we’ve thought of everything already. You should go and get dressed, time is running out.”

“Right,” Tory said, scratching at the back of his head in embarrassment. Then he remembered something. “Um, did you already get a best man for me, or maybe a ring-bearer?”

“I thought Cory would be best for the first job,” Pinkie said, bouncing like usual. “But we can’t think of a good pony to fill in the second!”

‘Maybe Graypaw could do that?” Tory suggested to Twilight, his eyes pleading. “I’ll just remove his tags, and he’d be perfect!”

“But he doesn’t have any dress clothing,” she protested. “And we don’t have much time left.”

“Ahem!” Rarity coughed, grabbing everypony’s attention. “I believe you forgot about the best designer in Equestria. I could make our little friend something nice in ten minutes flat!”

“Would you?” Tory asked her nicely. “I’d be sure to pay you back soon!”

“Oh please!” the white unicorn smiled at him. “I couldn’t take money from you Tory! Not when I’d be making it for your wedding, and on something so cute! He’ll be fun to work with!”

“Oh thank you Rarity,” the human sighed happily. “But, I guess you’ll need to get back to your boutique, huh? Would you like me to teleport you there?”

“Thank you Tory,” Rarity nodded. “I’d appreciate it.”

The human created a portal, and she walked right through without hesitation. Graypaw followed more slowly, stopping to glance back at his owner. Then Tory realized that Rarity had no way of reopening the portal. He quickly dashed through, and created a green whistle. As he appeared outside her shop, he called Rarity’s name out to grab her attention.

“Here, it’s a whistle that’ll allow you to get back to the castle,” Tory explained. “Just give it a blow, and I’ll have another portal ready for you to return through.”

“Good thinking,” Rarity nodded with a smile. “I’ll make sure to have Graypaw’s clothing ready right away. Come along now my cute little friend.”

“Um, Graypaw?” Tory said before the cub was inside. The little wolf turned to him, and cocked his head to the side in an adorable way. “Try not to get in a fight with Opal, okay?”

“Who?” the pup asked.

As if on cue, a low hissing could be heard from inside the shop. Graypaw turned to see Rarity’s white cat glaring at him, threatening to claw the cub to death if he came near the shop. Before Tory had a chance to explain though, Rarity lifted Opal with her magic, and placed her inside the cage. Sealing the latch shut, the white unicorn smiled at the two of them.

“It’s a good thing you remembered, Tory,” she said. “We wouldn’t want our furry little ring-bearer to get hurt on today of all days, would we? Don’t worry Graypaw, Opal can’t escape this cage, so you have nothing to fear. Now let’s get you outfitted with something…bold! I’m thinking dark blue, or maybe white, to contrast your lovely coat!”

“Heheheh, I guess I’ll leave you to it Rarity,” Tory smiled. He looked at Graypaw, and whispered into his ear. “Don’t worry, she’s good at what she does, even if she is a bit…eccentric about it. Just do as she asks, and you’ll be back with me and Fluttershy at the castle. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Graypaw smiled, and nodded. Tory got up, and walked back through his portal. Stepping back into the castle, he saw Pinkie Pie standing there, looking at him with a strange curiosity. Then he remembered she hadn’t met Graypaw yet. Slamming his hand into his forehead, Tory walked up to her and awaited the barrage of questions. Sure enough, the pink earth pony overloaded him with her massive talking skills.

“Who was that little guy, was he yours, did you find him somewhere nearby, was it in an alley or on the street, no it couldn’t be like that because he looked so well groomed, but then again you and Fluttershy could’ve done that if you found him soon enough, but then again-”

“Okay Pinkie,” came a country voice behind Tory. “Don’ kill tha guy with all yer talkin’. Let ‘im tell us ‘imself.”

Tory turned to see Applejack walking up, with Ditzy and Raven close behind her. He smiled as he saw those two pegasi together. Ditzy blushed a bit, and Raven just smiled back. Evidently, she was shy about it still, but he was happy as could be. They would make a cute couple one day.

Getting his mind back on track, Tory explained to them how Fluttershy saw a wolf cub in a pet shop window, and how timid he looked. He told them how she managed to get the little wolf to open up to her a bit, and how he came to be called Graypaw. Then Tory told them how the shopkeeper was nice enough to just give the pup to them, saying it was a wedding gift and that he already seemed attached to them. The group just listened in silence, except for Pinkie Pie, whose energetic bouncing was the only other sound in the room.

“And that’s how we came to have Graypaw,” Tory finished, looking at each of them in turn. “Right now, he’s with Rarity, getting outfitted for the ring-bearer position…That is, if Twilight will let him?”

“…I guess,” the purple unicorn smiled at him. “He is part of your family after all. What kind of pony would I be to keep him away?”

“…The bad kind?” Pinkie randomly asked, making everyone there wonder what mental frequency she operated on.

Before anypony could say anything, the two large doors leading out of the throne room opened, and Princess Celestia walked in. The group bowed as she approached, and she waved for them to rise. She whispered something into Twilight’s ear, and the pony adopted a worried look. She galloped out of the room after excusing herself.

“Um, is everything all right?” Tory asked.

“Don’t worry,” Celestia reassured him. “Just a minor detail that had almost been forgotten. How has your day with Fluttershy gone?”

“Great so far,” Tory smiled. “Got a new family member today!”

“Oh, mind if I browse your mind to find out more?” the princess asked with a gleam in her eyes.

“…Maybe.” Tory replied uneasily.

The human had read stories where Celestia was always reading others’ minds, never allowing their thoughts to be private. Those little pieces had been funny, but Tory knew it wouldn’t be if the alicorn directed her powers at him. Maybe he could just share the memory with her, like he did for Luna?

“I think I have a better solution,” Tory eventually said. He extended his hand, which began to glow green with his magic. “This is going to feel weird, but it’ll give you the memory of how there came to be a new piece of the family.”

Placing his hand on the Princess’ head, the memories began to seep trough his skin, and melded with Celestia’s. Her eyes grew wide as they merged into her mind, and she experienced what Tory had. After a minute, she shook her head, and looked at him.

“Well then,” Celestia smiled. “It seems like you’ve had a fun day.”

“And there is still more to come,” Tory returned with a grin. “I’ve got to thank you for this Princess. It was so kind of you to allow us to experience this the right way, going to extreme lengths just so that we could have a proper wedding. If there is anything I can do to repay you…”

“Please, don’t worry about it,” the white alicorn said, waving a hoof at him to show that formalities weren’t needed. “After what you two have gone through, I thought you deserved to have a chance at this again. This time though, it’ll be pleasant.”

“Indeed it will,” Tory smiled brightly at her. “Today will be one of the most memorable for both of us. Thank you Celestia, from the bottom of my heart.”

Before she could reply, he heard a quiet, high-pitched sound. If his guess was right, that was Rarity calling for him. It’s been over ten minutes already? Excusing himself from the conversation, Tory opened a portal to Rarity’s boutique, quickly poking his head through. He smiled as he saw the two of them, and pulled his head out of the portal. The white unicorn walked through, followed by a finely groomed, and stylishly dressed wolf cub.

Graypaw held his head up high, and walked forward, showing off his new duds. His gray fur was thouroughly washed and brushed back. His emerald eyes shone brightly in the filtered light, and he smelled faintly of freshly fallen leaves. He wore a white dress suit, with a top hat and everything. He even had white gloves on, and a monocle to make him look more royal.

“Introducing, the new and improved Graypaw,” Rarity smiled, looking at her friends and Tory.

“New? Yes. Improved? Maybe.” Tory laughed. He stopped as he saw Rarity‘s expression. “Kidding, kidding! He really looks nice though. I knew you could do it Rarity, you ARE the best after all.”

“Maybe not the best,” she replied modestly. “But certainly somewhere in that skill range.”

Everypony, Tory, and Graypaw laughed at that. The wolf cub walked up to his owner, and sat down beside him. He prodded the human gently, trying to get his attention. When he finally succeeded, Graypaw indicated his clothing, then pointed at Tory. It took a moment for the human to understand what he was getting at.

“Oh snap!” Tory said suddenly. “I’ve still got to get ready! I need to hurry up, or else risk being late and hurting Fluttershy’s feelings!”

“You been taking lessons in being overdramatic from Rarity?” Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing happily.

“Pinkie has a point, even if she said it in a rude way,” the white unicorn commented, giving the pink earth pony a look of disapproval. “You should know by now that Fluttershy won’t be offended it you’re a tad late. She’s always been the most patient and forgiving out of all of us.”

“Yeah, but still,” Tory replied. “It still wouldn’t be right for me to arrive to MY OWN wedding late. I’m going to go suit up. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Wait Tory,” Rarity called out, halting him with her magic. “Fluttershy is still in the room! You can’t go in there.”

“Oh, good save,” he told her, giving her a thumbs up. “I guess that I’ll have to change in a bathroom or something nearby.”

“That you will,” the unicorn said with a nod. “Wait right here, and I’ll go fetch your cloths for you.”

Rarity trotted out of the room, leaving Tory and the rest of the group behind. They looked at each other for a second, wondering just how long she would take. Nopony said anything, but the room was filled with the now loud and slightly annoying sound of Pinkie’s bouncing. Every time her hooves landed on the tiled floor, they created a springing sound that made Tory flinch. Rarity could not get back with those clothes fast enough!

“Whew! That was quite a jog,” she huffed exhaustedly when she finally returned. “Here you go Tory, one freshly made tuxedo.”

“Thanks Rarity,” the human smiled at her. “I’d best get ready.”

Dashing off to where an empty room where Tory could change, he rounded a corner and slammed into an old, gray alicorn. They both fell to the ground, one rubbing a sore spot where a horn nearly stabbed him, the other wondering where that brick wall had come from.

“Man, that’s twice today,” Tory commented, getting to his feet. He walked over to the alicorn, and extended a hand to help him up. “Um, I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to bump into you. I was in a rush, and forgot to be careful around these corners.”

“Well you didn’t kill me, so I don’t care,” came a deep, old, monotone voice. It sounded familiar to Tory. “Just watch where you walk from now on.”

“Yes sir,” the human nodded, pulling the old alicorn to his hooves. “I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“Hmmm,” the gray alicorn started. “You’ve got a very familiar presence about you. It reminds me of an old student I used to have many centuries ago.”

Getting a closer look at the alicorn, Tory saw a scar running across one of his eyes, both of which were red. He had a chipped horn, and his wings held no color in them now. The alicorn’s hair was mostly gray, with a few thin streaks of black here and there. Tory recognized him almost instantly.

“Ah, Master Katsu!” Tory smiled at him.

“…Do I know you?” The elder alicorn leered at him suspiciously.

“Well, sort of,” the human replied with a shrug. “You know who I WAS.”

“Was?” Katsu questioned. He readied himself into an offensive stance. “Explain yourself.”

“Well,” Tory began. “I’m Two Tail reincarnated.”

“T-Tails?!” the old alicorn exclaimed. He sniffed at Tory for a second. “…That would explain your energy. It smells so strongly of pine.”

“I know, and I like it,” Tory smiled. Then he remembered he was in a rush. “Oh snap! Um, I apologize Master Katsu, but I need to be going. I’ve got to get changed right away! I don’t want to keep my lovely bride waiting!”

As the human dashed down the halls, Katsu smiled. It seems that his old student had managed to achieve his goal after all. Turning back towards the path he was walking, the elder alicorn chuckled to himself. It was the first sign of emotion he’d shown in decades…

I.I.I Ten Minutes Later I.I.I

Tory was nervous, extremely nervous. After taking about five minutes to change out of his normal clothing into his very nicely made tux (compliments of Rarity), the human had walked back to the throne room to see the last of the décor and sitting pillows placed in a neat and orderly fashion.

Right now, Tory was standing at the alter, looking at his best man and good friend Cory. The puffy haired brony smiled at him, giving a thumbs up. It slightly helped to calm the groom’s nerves. He’d been to maybe three weddings in his life, and two of them he’d been extremely young, so his memory of them was foggy to say the least. The last he had only been there for the ceremony, not getting a chance to check out the reception. So Tory had little knowledge on weddings.

“Just relax,” Cory whispered to him, patting his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry so much about how things will turn out. Everything will be f-”

“Don’t!…Don’t jinx it,” Tory cut him off quickly. “Besides, it not so much me worrying about how things go. I’m actually just excited. I’ve waited for a chance like this for years, always looking for that girl that had the best qualities that just drew me to them. I never thought it’d be to Fluttershy, of all the characters in my wide collection of attractive cartoon and anime beauties. If anyone, I thought it be to Hinata Hyuuga, Soi Fon, or even Sakurako from Psyren. But instead, it’s to the lovely Fluttershy, who’ve I’ve known for two months. Life is strange Cory. Strange, but pleasant. It is that same pleasant feeling that’s making me all jittery and active right now.”

“Do you need me to punch you in the face to force you to calm down?” his friend asked, pulling his fist back and aiming at Tory.

“No! I mean wait,” Tory said quickly, ducking under the puffy haired teen‘s right hook. “Cory, think before you act! I can’t get dirty, or bloody right before I get married. That would make Fluttershy look bad, for one!”

“Oh, right,” Cory replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “Sorry, my brain is runnin’ slow today.”

“…I wonder if it’s too late to get a different best man?” Tory joked, dodging another strike from his friend. “Kidding, kidding!”

“I could still do that job Tory,” Graypaw said from his spot nearby. He looked around to make sure none of the ponies in the room could hear him.

“Again, I don’t think you could,” Tory told his little friend.

“Woah, a talking wolf!” Cory said, getting loud.

“Sh-h-h-h-h!” Tory stopped him. “We can’t let this get out! Keep your voice down!…Now let me guess. You’re wondering how I got him and why he can talk, am I right?” Cory nodded vigorously. “Well, short version is me and Fluttershy found him in a pet shop earlier today, and those tags around his neck allow him to talk like us. Which reminds me…”

Tory reached down, and slowly pulled the pieces of metal from Graypaw’s neck. The pup barked at him in annoyance, but didn’t try to get the tags back. Instead, he yawned and curled up beside the human. His expression said something like, ‘Wake me when we begin.’ Tory smiled, and petted him gently on the head, scratching behind his ears for a second.

“Man, now I want a pet!” Cory complained. “When we get back to Ponyville, I’m so having Fluttershy get me a vulture or something!”

“You’ll have to wait about a month man,” Tory warned. “Don’t forget, my beautiful bride and I still have a honeymoon to go on.”

“Right,” his friend nodded with a grin. “Well I guess I can w-”

Cory was cut off as the organ began to play the ceremonial music that Fluttershy would enter to. Looking towards the door, everypony stood up, and waited for the arrival of the bride. Tory gulped once. It wasn’t a nervous gulp, but instead one of anticipation. Today had been a pretty good day so far, and now it was finishing with him and Fluttershy having a proper wedding ceremony.

The doors began to open slowly, and Tory smiled as he saw his lovely bride. The wedding had begun…

A Wedding To Remember

‘A Wedding To Remember’

As the white doors of the throne room opened, Tory couldn’t hold back a large smile. Today was a great day to be him. He watched as the most peautiful pegasus in existence walked down the aisle, and looked at him with her shining blue eyes. Fluttershy was so gorgeous on her own, but add a wedding dress made by Rarity? It was driving Tory crazy.

As she approached the human, the golden pegasus smiled brightly. It warmed the human’s heart down to his very core to see that. Everything about Fluttershy made Tory so insane for her. Her beautiful face, her gentle, and loving personality, if you saw it in her, Tory loved it!

Right now, he could barely keep himself from picking her up, and kissing her until the world ended, she was that beautiful. When Rarity made a dress, she MADE, A, DRESS! It never covered the natural beauty of the wearer, it only enhanced their natural looks. And that is was the case with Fluttershy’s stunning wedding gown.

The golden pegasus wore a light, faded pink dress that flowed out behind her with the breeze from an open window. It was adorned with a few rubies here and there, adding a sparkle to the overall design. Fluttershy’s wings held small sunflowers between some of the feathers, giving off a pleasant scent. The headress she wore was adorned with roses all across it, giving her beautiful pink hair a strong hint of red.

As Fluttershy came to a stop beside Tory, she gave him a loving smile. He returned it, and stared forward. He knew that he would have to wait for his lines before he could say anything. Looking up, both of them saw Princess Celestia standing there, a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes gleamed in the sunlight, and Tory could see how glad she was at being able to do this right now.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments,” the alicorn of the sun began, speaking loudly and clearly. “And to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, which shall unite Tory Mills and Fluttershy in Matrimony!"

Tory looked over to see a single tear roll down his bride’s smiling face. He felt the same way right now, sharing this amazing moment with her. Celestia gave him a warm smile, and the human knew that this was also a good time for her. Having performed this ceremony on bad terms last time, she was eager to have a happy ending for the lovers.

“Marriage is a partnership of two unique people who bring out the very best in each other,” she continued before her audience. “Who know that even though they are wonderful as individuals, they are even better when together… Tory D. Mills, do you take this mare to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony? To love, honor, and cherish her, to keep her in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

“I do,” the human replied with a confident nod. He looked at his bride, and gave her a loving smile. “With all of my heart and soul.”

“ Fluttershy,” The Princess began once more. “Do you take this man to be your husband to live together in holy matrimony? To love, honor, and cherish him, to keep him in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

“I do,” the golden pegasus smiled. She turned to Tory, and her eyes lit up. “With all of my heart and soul.”

“Tory, repeat after me,” Celestia told him, grabbing his attention. “I Tory D. Mills…”

“I, Tory D. Mills…” he repeated.

“…take you Fluttershy, to be my wife…” the alicorn continued.

“…take you Fluttershy, to be my wife…”

“…to have and to hold, from this day forward…”

“…to have and to hold, from this day forward…” the human smiled.

“…for better for worse, for richer for poorer…” Celestia prompted again.

“…for better for worse, for richer for poorer…”

“…in sickness and in health, till death do us part."

“…in sickness and in health, till death do us part." Tory finished.

He looked into Fluttershy’s deep, loving blue eyes, and saw himself reflected there. Things could not be more perfect. Princess Celestia turned towards the beautiful golden pegasus, and had her repeat the same lines.

“I, Fluttershy…take you Tory D. Mills, to be my husband,” she began quietly, gaining more courage as she spoke. “To have and to hold, from this day forward…for better for worse, for richer for poorer…in sickness and in health, till death do us part."

“Now before we continue,” Celestia spoke loudly to her audience. “Is there anypony that does not agree to marriage between these two lovers? Speak now, or forever hold your peace!”

Nopony said anything, which Tory knew they wouldn’t. Maybe some of them had issues with him, or the fact that he wasn’t a pony, but they also respected what he had gone through, and the suffering he endured to be here right now. Celestia was about to continue, when the throne room doors burst open. Everypony gasped as they saw who stood on the other end. It was Rainbow Dash and Luna!

“Yeah! We object!” the blue pegasus said loudly.

“R-Rainbow?! Luna?!” Tory started incredulously. “But…”

“I can’t just stand by and watch as the only one I’ve ever loved is taken away from me forever!” Rainbow commented, approaching the human. She got down before him. “Tory please, would you marry me?!”

“Or me?” Luna broke in, taking a similar pose before the teen.

Now thouroughly mind blown, the human just stood there looking at them. Did they just really ask him to marry them, WHILE he was marrying Fluttershy?! Surely they were joking?! Not even twenty-four hours ago, Tory had came to terms with Rainbow, fixing their once broken friendship. And before that, he’d broken off what little he had shared with the dark alicorn.

The crowd of ponies stared at him, waiting to see what he would do. Tory turned to Fluttershy, and saw confusion in her eyes. She wasn’t sure what just happened either. The human wasn’t sure how to continue this. The logical thing to do would be reject them, and continue the ceremony as planned, but that would severely crush both Luna and Rainbow Dash’s hearts. Tory didn’t want them to suffer, mostly because he did have feelings for them.

The confident and bold Rainbow Dash, who Tory had shared a meager four days with. But during that short span of time, he had forged a strong relationship with her. They had laughed, cried, and worked together to bring back Fluttershy. She had been willing to sacrifice everything just so he could be happy again. The human loved her just as strongly as he did his bride.

The playful and elegant Luna, who kept deep feelings for Tory because of his connection to Two Tail, her lover from nearly a millenia ago. After reliving the memories of the green alicorn, Tory had started to return those feelings. Yet before anything truly strong could form between them, the human had stopped himself. Yet those feelings that he did have surfaced now, trying to win him over.

“I…I…I,” Tory stammered, unsure how to proceed.

If one had ever faced such a hard decision, Tory wished he could meet them now, and learn how they resolved their conflict. To have three lovers, and two wanted to marry him while he was marrying the first. Surely this was a first in all of known history on any universe?!

“I know that I said I’d put aside my feelings so that you and Fluttershy could be happy together,” Rainbow Dash started. “But no matter how much I try to keep it back, my love for you just keeps burning up! I want you so much! Please Tory, I beg you, let me be your wife!”

“And although you and I didn’t share much,” Luna began herself. “It was still great! You said so yourself, did you not? I know that my love for you may not be well founded, but it is still there! I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you!”

“But…I can’t just…” Tory tried once more. His mouth wouldn’t speak, and his mind wouldn’t think. It was almost like he was a newborn. “I… How can…”

“Ahem,” Princess Celestia cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of everypony and the three humans that were in the throne room. “Maybe I can provide a solution for this?”

She stepped around Tory, giving him a kind smile, and stood between Rainbow and Luna. Her wings spread out behind them, and they were covered in a white light. As it faded, the human gasped at what he saw. Both of the girls he still held feelings for had been given beautiful dresses, with designs similar to Fluttershy’s.

Rainbow Dash’s wedding dress was a light blue, much like her body. Her wings held deep blue azaleas in between some of the feathers, and sapphires were embedded in parts of her dress. She wore a headress that held irises all along it, each one a different color, pinned down beside the strands of hair they matched on the blue pegasus.

Luna’s dress was black with royal blue along certain parts. She had no flowers or jewels to adorn her, but she did have a tiara that held a large diamond in the center. The dark alicorn’s hair flowed out behind her majestically. She stood with an elegance that fitted a princess, and a good looking one at that!

“Tory, you’ve done many great things for Equestria,” Princess Celestia began. “And I know we can expect more from you in the future. That being said, you’re entitled to certain privledges. One of them is the right to multiple brides. While I’m not truly keen on the idea, I think that it’ll benefit each of you.”

“I…” Tory repeated.

He was still in a stupor over what just happened. Having your lovers ask you to marry them while you’re being wedded, then having them changed into beautiful dresses before your eyes will do that to a person. He was in such a state of shock, he couldn’t think clearly. To snap him out of it, Cory, lightly punched him in the arm.

“Ow!” the teen said, rubbing the spot where he got hit. “Why’d you do that?”

“Focus dude,” the puffy-haired best man replied, pointing towards the women.

“Oh uh, thanks.” Tory told his friend. He looked back at them, and smiled. “I guess I’d like that very much, but before I can do that, one thing remains. Fluttershy, are you okay with that? You are my first love, and have just as much say in this. If you say no, then I’ll accept it.”

“You’re asking if I’m okay with you having two other wives?” she started, her voice rising. “What do you think?”

“Well I uh…” Tory tried, scratching at the back of his head in embarrassment. “I guess I-”

Of course I’m fine with it!” the lovely golden pegasus cut him off, her eyes full of kindness.

“R-really?” he asked, doing a double take. “You are?”

“Tory, I’ve seen the looks you give Rainbow Dash,” she said, a knowing smile on her face. “And don’t forget, I wanted to put you two together in the first place. As for Princess Luna… I uh, hadn’t expected that. But if you like her then I’m okay with it.”

“That settles it!” Celestia broke in happily. “Then I’ll just continue where I left off before you have a chance to say otherwise!”

“Dude, did Celestia just troll you?” Cory whispered into his friend’s ear.

“Nah,” Tory shook his head. “At least, I don’t think she did.”

“Now then,” the white alicorn started up again. “Wedding bracelets are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of this man and these mares in marriage! Tory, place the bracelets on each of your brides’ hooves and repeat after me. I give each of you these bracelets…”

Tory looked over at Graypaw, who was holding a small red pillow. On it were four bracelets, each had a name engraved on the inside. Had they planned this or something? He picked one up, and turned towards Fluttershy. He clamped it on her gently, giving her a grateful and loving look. It held small garnets all around the band. He did the same for Rainbow and Luna, one with many different colored gems, and the last one with onyx around the bands.

“I give each of you these bracelets…” Tory started repeating.

“…as a token and pledge…” Celestia prompted.

“…as a token and pledge…”

“…of my constant faith, and abiding love.”

“…of my constant faith, and abiding love.” the human finished.

“Good,” Celestia nodded. She turned towards the wives, looking at Fluttershy in particular. “Fluttershy, you were his first love, so you can place the bracelet on your husband’s wrist and repeat after me. We give you this bracelet…”

The golden pegasus used her newly adorned hoof to pick up the last bracelet on Graypaw’s pillow. She slowly clamped it onto Tory’s wrist, and looked into his eyes lovingly. He looked first at his bracelet, which was adorned with sapphires, his birthstone, then at Fluttershy. He wanted to kiss her right then, but he had to wait for approval from the minister - or actually the Princess in this case!

“We give you this bracelet…” Fluttershy began, her eyes watering up. She repeated each word as it was given to her. “As a token and pledge…of our constant faith, and abiding love.”

"By the authority vested in me as the Princess of Equestria, I now pronounce you husband and wives." Celestia spoke loudly, a large smile on her face. "Tory, you may kiss the brides."

He reached for Fluttershy first, but held back when he remembered that he had two others to kiss as well. Why not be fair to them? He quickly made two clones, and each one of the Torys kissed one of the brides at the same time. For Fluttershy, it was a gentle but loving kiss. Rainbow got a stronger, but just as loving kiss. Luna received a passionate kiss, the first the human had ever given her. It was proof of his strength in her.

The crowd of ponies behind them cried out in joy, shouting their approval. Each Tory wrapped their arms around their wife, and walked down the aisle, two at a time. As they came to the end of the room, Spike greeted them with a smile and a wink. He motioned for them to follow, and they did. It was time for the reception!

I.I.I

To say the reception had been like most others would be a flat out lie! To say a wedding with three wives was normal was a lie!! As the groom and his brides entered the banquet hall, they took their places near the five layer large cake, which was conveniently decorated with all of Tory’s wives on it. The teen was seriously wondering if this was planned out.

“This is so amazing!” Rainbow exclaimed, bouncing happily. “I can’t believe that I’m married! And to you Tory!”

“You sound as if you never expected it to happen,” her Tory laughed.

“Well, kinda,” she shrugged.

“I had thought about it when we were walking back to Ponyville after you found me,” Tory confessed. “At the time, I had thought I’d do the right thing and stay by you, since you said you’d do that. I guess everything worked out in the end!”

“I was hoping this day would be fun!” Fluttershy told him, kissing his cheek lightly. “And it was! Oh, I can’t believe what just happened.”

“Seriously,” the human shook his head and shrugged in faux defeat. “All of that in the course of twenty minutes! Equestria really is something else!”

“Is your world not like ours?” Luna asked her Tory.

“Heheheh, you’ll see shortly.” he replied, smiling.

“Okay you four,” Twilight broke in, coming up to them. “…Or is it six? You know what, I think I’ll stick with four, since three of you are the same person. Anyways, it’s time to cut the cake!”

Each of the Torys looked at their brides, and smiled. He led each of them over, and held up a knife with them. Fluttershy was the first to cut, followed by Rainbow Dash, then Luna. The dark alicorn got a playful look in her eyes, and she made her magic levitate a piece of the cake into her Tory’s face. As he did a double take, she laughed. The two pegasi wives saw this, and did the same thing.

“He-e-e-ey!” Each of the Torys cried out in unison.

Everypony laughed, and in retaliation, Luna’s Tory grabbed a small piece and rubbed it in her face. She did her own double take, and tackled him to the ground. Rainbow followed through by doing the same thing with hers. Fluttershy hugged hers instead though, being the gentle girl she was. Her Tory just held the golden pegasus close, loving every second they were together.

“Hey you two!” Cory called out to them. “Get with the program!”

Tory looked at his friend, then over to his wife. His eyes gleamed playfully, and he handed a piece of cake to her. Fluttershy took it, understanding what he was going for. The human grabbed another piece of cake, and acted like he was going to smash it into her face. At the last second though, he changed course, and tossed the sweet food at Cory. The puffy haired teen ducked, seeing it coming. When he came up though, the piece of cake Fluttershy had collided into his face with a ‘plop!’ As gravity took control and made the food fall to the floor, everypony saw Cory with a serious face.

“Oh, it. Is. ON!” he said loudly. “FOOD FIGHT!!!”

The best man rushed over to the table and scooped up a large chuck of the cake, hurling pieces at Tory rapidly. The groom just ducked behind a table with Fluttershy, shielding her from the flying food. Soon other ponies joined in the fun, tossing whatever food was in the room, even some that had already been tossed. Others caught bits that were thrown at them, and returned fire. It truly was a food fight in there!

“What in tarnation?!” Applejack cried out as she entered the room. “Why’re all o’ ya’ll throwin’ mah fo-”

A piece of pie landed on her face with a ‘splat!’ Everypony stopped when they heard that, and started to fear for their lives. As the apple flavoring dripped of the orange earth pony’s face, a playful gleam appeared in her eyes. She nodded at Twilight, who nodded back with a grin. The purple unicorn started to levitate entire plates of food over to Applejack, who turned around.

Tory saw just what was about to happen ahead of time, and made a barrier around him and Fluttershy. The other Torys did too. They were just in time too as Applejack bucked the plates, sending the food flying into random ponies. They started to run for cover, a few getting behind tables and under chairs.

“What, can’t take a li’l challenge?” Applejack taunted.

Cory picked up some of the food that Twilight hadn’t gotten to yet, and started to return fire. A cupcake hit the earth pony in the face, and she missed her mark, hitting the plate at an odd angle, causing the food to collide into Twilight. The purple unicorn was knocked back into a table, where she shook her head clear. Her eyes changed, and Cory could feel something run down his spine.

“HIT THE DECK!!!” he shouted, getting into a fetal position behind his table.

Twilight picked up every scrap of food in the room with her magic, and began to create a whirlwind of sweets and apple flavored goodies. Many ponies were swept up in the initial attack, while the only ones to stay safe were Tory, his wives, and a few lucky ponies that heard Cory’s warning.

Seeing the whole situation getting out of hand, Tory willed his magic to stop the food flying about. Twilight looked at him with a mischievous grin. A shiver ran down the human’s spine as he looked into her eyes. He had a feeling he was in for a rough time.

“I’ve been wondering which of us is better with magic,” she said in a deceptively sweet voice. “Come at me Tory!”

Instead of going on the offensive, the boy made a wall of food around his friends. No need to get anypony in the crossfire. When Twilight saw this, she decided to trip him up by using her magic to drag his feet from under him. Tory fell to the floor, but managed to catch himself with a hand. He raised his other hand, and aimed it at the purple unicorn. Excess food on the barrier flew at her, catching her in the face and on the horn. He laughed as pie ran down her face.

In response, she used her magic to shoot some remaining cake at the teen. He redirected it with a flick of the wrist, and sent it right back at her. Twilight dodged as it came within a few inches of her face again, but was quickly hit by a cupcake. Where were these things coming from?!

As the one versus one food fight raged on, Pinkie Pie randomly bounced into the room, heading straight for the muffins that no one had noticed until now. She plucked three off the plate, and bounced out. The entire time, she hadn’t been hit with a single speck of flying food. HOW THE HELL?! She just bounced through a whole battlefield without getting hit once!

Twilight was wondering just how she did it when a piece of cake collided with her face, and she fell to the ground. She had forgotten that she was in the middle of a magic food fight with Tory. The human had noticed, and used it to his advantage. Walking over, he extended a hand to her, which she gladly took. The food war was over, or so he thought. Twilight pushed another piece of pie into his face, making him fall backwards.

“I win!” she exclaimed.

“Too bad you used your hoof and not your magic,” Tory retorted with a grin. “So at least I win the magic fight!

“Grrr!” she teased. “You may have won the battle, but the war has only begun!”

“Okay you two,” Princess Celestia scolded playfully, entering the room. She saw how trashed the place was, and sighed. Her maids were gonna be pissed! “Did you two cause all this damage?!”

“Not all of it,” Tory smiled. “Just…most of it.”

“I guess we got carried away,” Twilight admitted in embarrassment.

“Well, if you two say you’ll help clean it up, all will be forgiven,” the Princess told them.

“On it!” the human said quickly.

His hand glowed green for a second before a tornado blew through the room, sweeping up all of the food. As every scrap was collected, the ponies could only watch as even the bits on them were swept away. When all of the food had been collected, the now bulky tornado faded out of existence. Twilight stared at Tory in amazement.

“HOW?!” was all she managed to ask.

“I don’t really know!” Tory laughed.

He walked over to his wives, and collected each of them in his arms, even going as far as making two more so he could carry Luna. Tory was starting to do some weird shit with his powers! He gave each of them a kiss on the cheek, and walked out of the banquet hall. A second later, he reappeared in his normal attire, as did Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Luna. Walking over to the table, the human pulled up Cory, who was still shaking.

“Hey uh, food fight is over,” he said calmly to his best man.

“Who? What?” came Cory’y quick reply. “Oh, okay then!”

“Yeah um, you still have to give a speech,” Tory said quietly. “You know, the speech that the best man ALWAYS gives?”

“Aww! Do I have to?” Cory whined. He looked at his friend, who gave a shrug. “Fine!”

Getting to his feet, the puffy-haired teen pulled out a few note cards that were stored inside his nice suit Rarity had made him. The cards were slightly moist, as they were near his armpits, and the teen had been sweating. They were still legible, but only just so. Clearing his throat, Cory began his speech.

“I’m not really good with words, so I’ll just get to the point!” he started. “We all know why we’re here. We came to celebrate my good friend Tory getting married. Strangely enough, to three different ponies! But anyways, he and his girls are really great! Fluttershy, you’re just awesome when it comes to being awesome! Um, Rainbow Dash, you’re like, twenty percent even more awesome! Luna…I got nothing!…Oh, you’ve got nice hair! But, getting back on track, it’s great to have all of you here! I hope each of you is having fun, despite the really short war that just happened. Wrapping this up, who wants to see me without my shirt?”

Cory tried to remove it, a few mares whooping as he started. Tory quickly rushed over, and pushed his shirt down. After the mares whined, they left the room. The puffy haired human looked at his friend with a smile.

“Why’d you do that?” he asked.

“We’re at a wedding man,” Tory replied, punching his friend in the arm lightly. “I don’t need you showing off to everypony. Besides, you got the one you want over there.”

Cory nodded, realizing what he was saying, and went over to Twilight Sparkle. The two talked for a few seconds before rushing out of the room. Tory turned to look at Celestia, who was beside the table. She stared at the blank plate where the large cake had been.

“And I really wanted some cake,” she whined. “I NEVER get any!”

“Really?” Tory questioned. “Couldn’t you just order one of your chefs to make you one?”

“…You’re right!” she exclaimed. She dashed to the doors, then turned back to him and his wives. “Oh, and it’s time for the dance! You’d better get going if you don’t want to be late!”

Tory looked at his wives, and smiled nervously. Fluttershy and Rainbow looked at him curiously. They had no idea he couldn’t dance to save his life. And the groom was supposed to be the first onto the dance floor with his wife, or wives to be exact in this situation! Luna’s eyes gleam, and she herded her fellow wives out. Tory followed more slowly, until he saw the dark alicorn return. She closed the doors, and motioned for him to come over.

“Here,” she said, extending a glowing dark blue hoof. “You can’t dance right? Here are my memories on dancing… What? Did you think I didn’t know that spell? I’ve read every book in my room at least ten times! Just take my hoof!”

Tory did as she instructed, and felt a rushing sensation along his arm and head. As the memories flowed into him, the human could feel himself learning to dance. He shook his head after the spell was completed. It left a weird dizzy feeling.

“C’mon lover boy,” Luna teased, turning towards the doors. “It’s time for you to dance with us.”

“Wait a second,” Tory stopped her.

He pulled her close to him, and gave her a loving, passionate kiss. The dark alicorn was caught by surprise, but soon after she wrapped her hooves around her new husband’s neck. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, locked in each other’s embrace. Eventually, Tory broke it, needing to breathe. He looked into Luna’s deep indigo eyes, seeing all of the love he was giving in them.

“Just a little ‘welcome to the family’ gift,” he smiled. “I’m glad you’re a part of this too.”

“Thank you, ‘Split Ends’,” Luna teased him.

“Is that gonna be my nickname now?” he asked playfully. “Okay then, my ‘Black Mage’!”

“And just what does that mean?” she asked curiously.

“Oh you’ll see one day,” the human told her with another kiss. “C’mon, we don’t want to be left behind.”

Tory and Luna walked out of the banquet hall, and quickly caught up with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The two pegasi exchanged an uneasy look, but didn’t press it. Tory stifled a laugh at that. Were they jealous? Surely not! He intended to give an equeal amount of love to each of his brides! Tory was not one to play favorites… Of course, if he did, Fluttershy would be the winner of his affections.

Appraoching the dance hall, Tory realized something. He was a human, and each of his brides was a pony! He was double their size, except for Luna who was about two thirds of him. Quickly stopping, he let his brides continue on, and rounded a corner where he could do a bit of work in privacy…

I.I.I

Fluttershy and the other brides walked into the dance hall, unaware that Tory had stepped off to the side. They approached the dance floor in the center of the room, where a large crowd had gathered. It was tradition for the groom and bride(s) to be the first onto the dance floor.

Approaching the center, Fluttershy heard mild whisperes going about. Why? She looked behind her at Tory, only to see he was gone! When had he done that?! Was he scared to dance, or afraid he might hurt one of his brides?

“Where’s Tory?” Rainbow voiced her question.

“Sorry, Tory had to go on leave,” came the human’s voice behind the crowd.

Fluttershy and the other brides turned to the voice, expecting to see their lover standing there. Instead, a silver pegasus with brown hair stood at the door. He walked over to the girls, and smiled warmly. The pegasus’ blue eyes looked at each of them lovingly. The golden pony saw a familiar gleam in them, and gasped.

“He left me to dance with you beautiful ladies though,” he said with a smile. He winked at Fluttershy. “My name is Silverwing. I hope I can be good enough of a replacement.”

“T-Tory?” Rainbow asked, seeing his wink as well.

“No, Silverwing,” he corrected. He extended his wings and flipped his light brown mane out of his face. “See? I’m a pegasus, not a human. But like your husband, I can do this.”

Silverwing extended his wings once more, and a copy of him came into existence with a ‘poof’. Another came along, but this one was Luna’s size, and he looked almost completely different. This one was an alicorn with a deep green body, and dark brown hair. He still had those blue eyes that the girls were familiar with, but his tail was split down the middle, and spiked out at odd points.

“T-Tails?!” Luna exclaimed.

“Shhh,” the alicorn soothed, placing a hoof on her mouth. “No need to say anything.”

The first Silverwing looked over at the stage, and nodded at one of the earth ponies up there. She was gray with black hair, and a faded purple bowtie around her neck. Her purple eyes shone in the bright light, and she turned towards her fellow band mates. With a nod, the pianist began to play, followed by the violinist, then she joined in with her cello. Silverwing held out a hoof for Fluttershy.

“Shall we dance?” he asked with a grin.

Fluttershy blushed for a second. She knew it was Tory, and that he was just messing with them. She took his hoof in hers, and the two got up on their back hooves. The silver pegasus placed one hoof around her waist, and held the other close. They stepped lightly in a circle, moving with the gentle music. Fluttershy felt like she was in Heaven again.

Rainbow was already in the midst of her dance too, performing quicker and more advanced dance moves. A spin here, a lift there, it was all done! Her Silverwing kept up the excitement with his dancing skill. The blue pegasus was enjoying herself so much right now, she couldn‘t believe it. She understood that Tory had changed appearance, but didn’t question it, as it was kind of fun to see him like this. Silver really did look good on him.

“Are you having fun, my love?” he asked her.

“Yeah!” she replied with a smile. “I can’t believe all of this! I’m not dreaming am I?”

“If this is a dream, then you’ll never wake from it,” he teased lovingly.

“Why would I want to?” she played back.

The two continued their routine, holding the eyes of the crowd. Luna and her dance partner were just holding hooves, moving slowly with the music like Fluttershy and her Silverwing. They weren’t in it for the actual dance, they just wanted to talk.

“How is this happening?” Luna asked him.

“Tory was kind enough to let me run free for a bit,” the green alicorn explained. “He knows that your love for him was founded because of me, and decided that I should get a chance to talk to you.”

“It almost sounds like he doesn’t think I love him,” the dark alicorn said quietly to herself.

“Not true!” Tails broke in. “Tory knows that you love him, very much! He just wanted to give you a chance to talk with me once more… He wanted to give us both a chance to say good-bye, the right way.”

Luna understood what her old lover was saying. The human she had married was letting her spend one last night with the only other being she ever held feelings for. He was sacrificing his wedding night with her so she could be with Two Tail.

The two of them began to really dance now, letting the music sweep them off their hooves. While it was only Luna’s skill that each Silverwing was using, Two Tail was dancing the way HE was taught, all those centuries ago. They moved about the floor, their dancing drawing the eyes of the other ponies. Each sway of the hip, each step of the hoof held an elegance that could only be matched by the dark alicorn’s natural beauty.

Soon, other ponies began to join in the dancing. At one point, Fluttershy thought she saw Cory and Twilight trying to dance, but two random ponies got in the way and she lost them. Her Silverwing was looking at her with his gentle blue eyes, and she couldn’t help but kiss him.

“Wh-what was that for?” he whispered quietly and like she did something wrong. “Why did you kiss me, when you’re married to somepony else?!”

“Heheheh, you don’t have to act with me Tory,” Fluttershy laughed gently. She leaned into him and whispered softly into his ear. “I’d know you no matter what you look like.”

Silverwing smiled at her, and returned the kiss. Yup, it was definitely Tory. The silver pegasus kissed just like her husband. The two stepped off the dance floor, and walked over to the band. They sat down at a nearby table, just listening to the music.

“What an amazing night, huh?” Silverwing/Tory asked Fluttershy.

“You can say that again,” she agreed.

“What an amazing night, huh?” he joked.

Octavia the cellist listened in silence. She knew each of the songs she played perfectly, and had already incorperated them to reflex, allowing her mind to wander. Just who was this strange pegasus, that acted like he was so close to the bride? Why did he dance with those girls instead of the groom, who was nowhere to be found? She would have to keep an eye on this one, follow him to see just who he really was. She would get her good friend Vinyl to join her. That pony was always up for a good time.

Vinyl Scratch, a white unicorn with a blue mane and tail. Her hair had thick blue streaks run through it, and her eyes were a deep red. She wasn’t into classical like Octavia, but she was open to all forms of music. She kept saying she was looking for that special type that would revolutionize Equestria. The gray earth pony was hoping she would find it, but knew it would still be a while before that day came.

“Excuse me, might you be Octavia?” came a male voice beside her.

Snapped out of her musings, she turned towards the voice to see Silverwing looking at her. The rest of her band had not stopped playing, but evidently Octavia had when she became too lost in her thoughts. Staring at the silver pegasus, she calmly answered his question.

“Why yes, I am,” she told him confidently. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Um yes,” Silverwing answered, handing her a piece of paper. “Is it possible for you to play this piece? I’ve always liked this song, and I think you’d enjoy it too. It might be a bit difficult, but it’s a really beautiful song.”

Octavia stared at the paper in her hoof. It was loaded up with tabs that she had never seen before. The title was underlined at the top, and it said ‘Nearer My God to Thee’. By the looks of it, the song was soft, and could be played by just one instrument. It wouldn’t sound as good with only one, but it could be performed like that. Luckily, Octavia had one other string player with her, and that would make it much easier to play. Two instruments did sound better than one after all.

“Are you sure?” she asked the pegasus. “ I don’t really think this song would be appropriate for dancing.”

“It’s not for dancing to,” he explained. Pointing a hoof at Luna and her partner, he continued. “Those two need something like this. Can you do it for them, please?”

“I…I guess.” the gray earth pony gave in. She turned to her violin player, and motioned for him to come over. “Hey Giovanni, I’ve got one for you and me.”

“Yeah yeah,” the pony said in an Italian accent. That surprised Tory. He didn’t know that there could be Italian ponies. “What’re we playin’?”

I.I.I

“Well, it looks like it’s time to clear the floor,” Rainbow Dash’s Silverwing said.

“What do you mean?” she asked him.

He pointed a hoof towards the stage where the other Silverwing was talking with the cellist and violinist. They were looking at a sheet of paper, which confused Rainbow. She looked at her dance partner, to see him staring at Luna and the green alicorn.

“Does it have to do with them?” she questioned.

“Yeah, those two need some time together,” he replied quietly. “C’mon, let’s go talk with Fluttershy.”

Walking over to the table the golden pegasus was sitting at, Rainbow saw she looked really content. Probably because she knew who Silverwing was, and that she was married to Tory. The blue pegasus understood how she felt. He was a great person to be around, and always put others before him. Plus there was something deeper that neither of the girls could put their hooves on. The mystery just made them like him more.

“So did you two enjoy your dance?” Silverwing asked them, taking a seat between both ladies.

“Yes, it was so great!” Fluttershy exclaimed quietly.

“Yeah, who would’ve thought you could go pony?!” Rainbow said loudly.

“Yeah, but not for long,” he replied with a sigh. “It’s really taxing on me. I think I have maybe ten more minutes before I’ll revert to human.”

“HA! Got you to admit your Tory!” Rainbow laughed.

“I could very well be Grace, or Cory,” Silverwing replied with a smile.

“No, you can’t be!” Fluttershy said, hugging him. “You kiss just like Tory, so you must be him!”

Silverwing blushed at that, making Rainbow Dash laugh. Deciding to test that theory, she leaned over and kissed him herself. Silverwing raised his eyebrows, and shrugged. He returned it, wrapping his hooves around the blue pegasus.

“Yup, just like ‘em!” she agreed.

They laughed at that, forgetting the world around them. Silverwing put a hoof around each of his girls, and walked them out of the dance hall. Just as they did, Octavia and Giovanni began to play their new song…

I.I.I

Luna looked up when she heard the change in music. The pianist had stopped, and now just the violinist and cellist were playing a really soft song. It was kind of sad, but it gave the dark alicorn a bit of peace. She looked at Two Tail, and saw his eyes shining with a bit of sadness.

“It looks like my time is nearly up,” he whispered to her.

“W-why?” she asked, confused.

“Tory is running out of energy,” Tails explained. “When he let me take this body, we were separated. I shared my power with him, so without it, he’s using more and getting less results. This body is being maintained by him, not me. When Tory finally gives in, I’ll vanish, and return to his mind.”

“So he’s running himself ragged…so you and I can talk?” Luna questioned, worry for her husband building.

“Yeah, but he thinks you’re worth it. He’d gladly die to make each of you ha…ppy.” Tails said, his form starting to dissipate. His voice faded in and out when he spoke. “Luna, I’m gla…d that we w…ere able to sp…end this time t…ogether. I…love…you…”

With that, Two Tail’s body vanished. Luna smiled as she lowered her head. She definitely seemed to know how to pick them. That was twice her first lover had vanished, saying he loved her. Now her second one was nearly killing himself so that she could spend just a few minutes with the alicorn.

“Good-bye… Split Ends…” she whispered, a single tear rolling down her face.

The music played quietly, making Luna even more sad. Now she knew why it was playing. It was to help ease the pain of losing him. The cellist looked at her, seeing the pain on the alicorn’s face. She stopped playing, motioning for her partner to keep going.

“Excuse me, Princess Luna?” she started, coming over. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Just…keep playing that song,” Luna smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

With a nod, the earth pony returned to her spot. She ran her bow across the strings, letting the soft song echo across the large room. With a sigh, Luna turned towards the door. She looked up to see Tory standing there, panting heavily and smiling at her.

“Sorry…I’m late,” he huffed. “I got…held back by…a green alicorn. He wouldn’t… let me see you.”

“…Thank you Tory,” Luna said, kissing him on the cheek.

“Would you… like to dance still?” the human asked, extending a hand.

“…I’d love to,” she replied, taking his hand.

The music continued to play, soft and sad. The two lovers danced about, breathing in the other’s scent. Tory moved with Luna, holding her waist gently. She rested her head on his shoulder, and moved with him. Fluttershy and Rainbow watched from the door, a smile on each of their faces.

“You ever wonder what made us like him?” Rainbow asked her friend.

“…Everything,” the golden pegasus answered with a smile. “I love everything about him!”

“Heheheh, I guess he got me with all the devotion he showed.” the blue pegasus laughed. “…I wonder what Luna sees in him?”

“We may never know,” Fluttershy said, turning around. “She’ll tell us if she wants, but we can’t force her.”

“Guess you’re right,” Rainbow agreed.

Turning around, they saw another Tory looking at them, well rested and holding a small spell book. It looked really old and musty. He smiled, and drew both of them in for a hug. The girls looked at each other, then wrapped a hoof around his neck to return it.

“Glad I was able to find you two,” he said excitedly. “I’ve been spending a good ten minutes working out this spell.”

“What spell?” Fluttershy asked.

“Just one that allows for the creation of different dimensions,” he explained. “It takes a lot of power, but when it’s finished, I’ll have a nice little surprise for my lovely brides.”

Tory gave each of them a kiss, and motioned for them to follow. He led them back to the throne room, where a few ponies could be seen talking. Tory walked over to a small door that was hidden quite well, and very out of place. Pulling it open, he motioned for his wives to step through.

On the other side was a completely empty space, void of everything. It was just endless white! Fluttershy looked back at Tory, and saw he was standing in the only thing that existed: the door. She looked at Rainbow Dash, whose eyes were gleaming.

“THIS IS COOL!!!” she exclaimed loudly. “WHERE ARE WE?!!”

“Just a pocket dimension I made,” Tory shrugged. “ I intend to have to furnished and decorated soon. When it’s done, we’ll have our own little world to share, just the four of us! I haven’t decided what to call it yet, but I’ll figure something out soon.”

“How about: Second Equestria?” Rainbow suggested. “Or maybe: The Land of Awesome?”

“Nah,” Tory shook his head. “We need a name that is twenty percent cooler than even those.”

“Maybe we could call it Tory’s World?” Fluttershy asked, hugging him.

“But it doesn’t just belong to me,” he argued. “You, Rainbow, and Luna own it too! It’s for all of us…Wait, I got it! How about ‘The World That Never Was’?”

“Co-o-o-ol!” Rainbow Dash agreed.

“I like it,” Fluttershy nodded.

“Thank you Square Enix, and other producers of Kingdom Hearts 2!” Tory thought to himself.

“So is this the world you’ve made,” came a royal voice behind them.

Turning around, the human and two pegasi saw Celestia standing in the doorway, a piece of cake levitating beside her. Tory couldn’t help but smile at that. He wasn’t sure why, but evidently, the alicorn had an addiction to cake.

“Yeah, nothing fancy,” Tory shrugged.

“Still impressive,” she said. “How far out does it go?”

“Maybe a quarter mile?” Tory thought aloud. “I’m not sure. Hey Rainbow, want to test it out?”

“Sure!” the blue pegasus answered, dashing off. A second later, she vanished from their sights, and reappeared behind the door. “What the?”

“Yup, a quarter mile,” Tory nodded. “Still large enough to create a base though.”

“A base?” Fluttershy asked.

“You know?” the human prompted. “Just a place that only we can get to. Somewhere that only friends will be allowed to enter. I can make portals from your place, Rainbow’s and Luna’s to lead here. A quick step through, and you’re in Ponyville or Canterlot!”

“Wow, someone thought this out,” Celestia commented.

“Always trying to keep my girls happy,” Tory smiled at them. “If their not, then neither am I.”

“We love you too Tory,” Fluttershy said, jumping on him.

“Heheheh, I’m glad,” he laughed. Picking up his other bride, he walked out of the pocket dimension, and locked the door. Yeah, like that would stop a super powerful demon from breaking in! “It’s getting late, we should all get some rest.”

Holding his two brides close to him, Tory made a portal that would lead back to his temporary room in Canterlot. He set the girls down, and quickly put them under the covers. They yawned in an adorable way that Tory found irresistible. He looked at Rainbow Dash, his second love, and gave her a loving kiss between the eyes. She looked at him lovingly, and rested her head on the pillow.

Turning to Fluttershy, Tory put his head down by hers. She looked at him with her loving blue eyes, and wrapped her hooves around him. He kissed her passionately, letting her sweet scent of rose overcome him. He looked at her, and smiled gently. She got up, and landed on top of his head.

Jumping out the window quietly, the two descended into the gardens. It was near midnight now, and the moon was shining bright and full. Even on the day she got married, Luna kept at her job! The silver light shined around the garden flowers, causing them to sparkle. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

“Today… No words can describe today,” Tory whispered into his wife’s ear. He fell back onto the ground, and motioned for her to lay beside him. “You…Rainbow…Luna… All of you are so amazing, and I have you to myself! I keep replaying what happened in my head, and I wonder what I did to earn such perfect girls! Seriously, do I really deserve to be with you?”

“I don’t see why you shouldn’t,” Fluttershy soothed, kissing him on the cheek. “After everything that has happened, you deserve to be happy with the ones you want to share it with.”

“But are you sure?” he asked, looking at her seriously. “I mean…Do you really want to spend your life with me, a loser? I’ve never done anything good with my life. I’ve always been the weak one, the pathetic excuse of a human that everyone tried to say away from! I’m just a fat, ugly, weakling…”

“Tory D. Mills!” Fluttershy scolded gently. “You are NONE of those things! You’ve done plenty of good! Just look at Cory and Twilight! If not for you, they’d never have met and gotten together! You’re not weak, you’ve never given in to defeat, not when we fought Discord, not when Rainbow needed you in the Cloister, never!”

“But-”

“No!” she cut him off, her eyes intense. “You’ve done nothing but your best for everypony! I don’t see a loser, or a weakling! I see a strong man, waiting for his chance to shine! A strong, handsome man that I love! Tory, you need to stop seeing so little in yourself. Yes, life may be hard, and it might be a little unfair, but you can make it! With Rainbow Dash, Princess Luna, and me by your side, you can do anything!”

“…Fluttershy,” Tory whispered. “I-”

His wife cut him off by kissing him forcefully. It wasn’t a passionate one, but it said many things. It promised love, trust, and devotion. These were the things he tried to give to his girls. To each one, he gave nothing short of his all. Fluttershy’s kiss was practically overflowing with all of that. It was sweet and made the human feel lightheaded. As she broke it, the golden pegasus looked into his eyes.

He stared at her, unsure of what to say. That intense, loving stare of hers made him speechless. Tory looked into her eyes, silver in the moonlight, and felt strength well up inside him. He felt his confidence beginning to return to him. Tory knew that with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Luna by his side, he could do anything! His mind was the only limit! The teen could climb the tallest mountain on every world, plunge into the darkest depths of the deepest sea and come back out with stories to tell of the great things below! Discord? That name meant nothing when it came to the power Tory felt with his girls beside him!

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” he whispered. “Thank you so much! You’re absolutely right! I’ve got you three now, and nothing can stop us! WE can put an end to all this! No matter what comes at us, no matter how high the wall is, we’ll bust through it, together!”

Tory pulled Fluttershy close to him, and gave her the most passionate of kisses he could. He refused to let her go, not even when his lungs cried out for air. He had the most special and most beautiful of girls beside him, and that was all he needed! He let Fluttershy’s sweet scent entice him, dulling his senses. Tory stroked her soft, silky smooth hair, his heart racing with every passing second.

Fluttershy could hear the beating of his heart, fast and intense. Her own was speeding up to a similar point. His hands kept running through her hair, causing a deep desire within to force it’s way up. Tory’s breathing was warm and gentle, and the scent of pine clung to him so strongly. The golden pegasus wasn’t sure just what was going on.

Something primal within Fluttershy burst into her brain, and she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She lept onto him, and forced his shirt off. Tory looked at her in surprise, but he didn’t resist. The golden pegasus started to kiss his neck, letting his scent surround her. The human felt his own natural instincts take over, and ran his hands along Fluttershy’s body. The two of them rolled around in the grass, the flowers shining and giving off a fragrant smell.

Tory gave in to the desire, and soon he and Fluttershy found themselves in a sweet embrace than not even the strongest of magics could break. A gentle breeze cooled down their bodies, but not their desires. Then, the human and pegasus made love…

Past & Present

‘Past & Present’

“Hey, lover boy,” came a familiar voice, followed by something prodding Tory in the side. “Wake up! It’s one thing to sleep and dream, but it’s another to dream ABOUT sleeping!”

Feeling another prodding in his side, Tory slowly opened his eyes. He raised his head, and looked around. He noted that he was back within the Cloister of Love’s last room, where the statue resided. Moving into a sitting position, the human saw his alicorn counterpart standing there, a playful gleam in his eyes.

“Hey Tails,” Tory greeted him with a smile. “Last night was fun, huh?”

Last night… Wow, there were not enough words in all of existence to describe how great it had been! Tory had gotten to marry not just Fluttershy, but Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna too! How often can you say that you get to marry two lovely, amazing pegasi, and a just as great alicorn princess?! Then after all was said and done, Tory had that romantic little fun with his first love in the gardens! Oh boy, that right there had been something ENTIRELY different! Getting laid by Fluttershy? There were not many who could say they did that!

“Fun doesn’t really do it justice,” the dark green alicorn smiled. “Speaking of which, thanks for letting me say good-bye to Luna. It was great, getting a chance to just be beside her one last time.”

“Well, you ARE me, so technically, you’ll be spending the rest of your life with her,” Tory joked. “Besides, it only felt right, letting you two spend that little bit of time together…”

“Yeah, and while your clone was dancing with her, you and Fluttershy-”

“Okay okay!” the human cut him off. “That does not leave this mindscape, got it?”

“Yeah yeah,” Two-Tail smiled. “Otherwise you’ll fight me again, am I right?

“Exactly” Tory grinned back. “So uh, why did you bring me back?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Tails said suddenly. “Don’t you remember? I said you‘d be reliving more of my life tonight. We had a deal, so you don’t have a choice.”

“Yeah I know,” Tory replied dismissively. “Can you tell me a bit about what’s going to happen?”

“I can…”

“…”

“…And?” Tory asked, getting annoyed.

“What?” Two-Tail questioned, a smirk on his face.

“Really? WILL you please tell me anything you can about what I’ll be going through?” Tory tried once more, suppressing a sigh.

“Oh, of course!” the alicorn answered. His face grew serious as he looked at the human. “ Basically, you’re going to relive the last piece of my life. It’ll start off like any other day, but when night falls… Try to be quick, is the only advice I can give. I won’t give out all of the details, otherwise it wouldn’t be much fun for you. But you need to know one detail. You are going to die, that is a given. There are no ways to dodge around that one, unless of course you don’t want to exist. Just push yourself like you’ve never done before, and I’ll pull you out before your mind actually tries to kill you.”

“And if you pull me out too late?” Tory prompted.

“…You’ll die a slow and painful death.” Two-Tail answered, looking away.

“Okay then,” the human started happily. “So no pressure on either of us, eheheheheh!

“Good luck Tory,” Tails said, his horn starting to glow with magic. “You’re going to need it…”

Before the human had a chance to ask him what exactly he meant by that, the alicorn unleashed the magic he had built up, and it encased Tory within a dark green cocoon, similar to the one Luna had placed him in the first time. He wondered if Two-Tail would really pull him out in time if he was going to die. Well if he did lose his life, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore, right?

The last thing that Tory saw was Tails looking at him with sad eyes. The magic strings of the cocoon covered his head, and his vision vanished…

I.I.I Memory Recollection 2 I.I.I

“Hey, Split Ends!” came a quiet, noble, and lovely voice. “Wake up! Come on you big oaf, get up!”

Tory’s eyes flew open, and he saw Luna, his beautiful wife looking at him. Those deep indigo eyes of hers still took his breath away, and how her lovely hair flowed endlessly just got him so worked up. Without meaning to, he leaned over and kissed her passionately. She blushed and pulled away.

“Mornin’ Luna,” Tory smiled.

“T-Tails!” she exclaimed, completely surprised. “Wh-What was that for?!”

Oh, right. He was Two-Tail right now. Not only did that mean he wasn’t married to Luna, it meant that their love had to be hidden. For a princess to love a lowly soldier was unheard of, as well as “improper” supposedly. Tory wondered if she still remembered him… He shook his head clear. He had to keep on the current topic for the time being.

“What’re you talking about?” he asked, confused. “Why is it so wrong for me to kiss you?”

“You know that I’m not allowed to be seen with you,” the dark alicorn answered sadly. “If word about you and me was to get around…”

“Shhhh,” Tory soothed, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Things happen, and they always will. If the other ponies find out, then they’ll find out. If they don’t, then I see no issues. Right now I can’t see any other ponies, so we should be fine, sharing a kiss or two.”

Luna smiled as she realized the truth behind what he was saying. She wrapped her hooves around his neck, the calming scent of violet surrounding them. She kissed him once more, and moved closer to him. Tory knew where this was going, and he was prepared. Oh, things were about to get fun! And for him, that meant twice in just a matter of hours!

“Hello, Princess Luna?” came a maid’s voice from behind the bedroom door, followed by a knocking. “Are you awake yet?”

“Oh, so close!” Tory and Luna thought at the same time.

“Just… Just a minute!” the dark alicorn called back. She turned to the human/alicorn, and motion towards the window. She lowered her voice as she spoke. “Quick, jump out the window, and fly down to the gardens! I’ll meet you there in a bit!”

Reluctantly, Tory did as she said. Now that was unfair! It was ALWAYS right when things were at their best that someone had to ruin it! The human/alicorn quietly opened Luna’s bedroom window, and extended his wings. They reached out a bit shorter than he remembered, but then again, he was comparing pegasus wings to his angel wings. Praying that it wouldn’t affect his flying any, Tory jumped out, and held his wings open. Since he was going towards the gardens, he didn’t have to actually fly. He could just glide down towards them, and land gently on the soft grass.

As the human/alicorn landed, he let his mind wander. He started by thinking about then ‘when’ of Two-Tail’s memories that he had been sucked into. Luna looked taller by a decent amount, she now had her cutie mark, and her voice had gained some of that alluring nobility Tory found irresistible, so he figured it had to have been maybe a few years? That was shocking to know! The last time he’d been in Tails’ body had only been like three days ago!

“Time sure flies when you’re getting married,” he commented with a laugh.

“Who’s married?” came a lovely voice behind him.

“Oh, just me, and you…” Tory answered, turning to see Luna walking up to him.

“Us, married?!” she exclaimed, a blush on her face. “B-But that can’t be right! Such an event could never be hidden! And surely I’d remember it!”

“Heheheh, yeah, you would, if it had happened already,” the human/alicorn replied, looking up at the pale sky, which still was dark as Celestia let the sun rise slowly. “I’m surprised you haven’t caught on yet.”

“Caught onto what?” Luna asked, confused. She looked at him for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. Rapidly, she forced him against a tree and held him in place. “You! You’re not Split Ends! Who are you?!”

“Easy now Luna,” Tory soothed quietly. “We can’t attract attention, remember? And honestly, I’m kind of hurt! You already forgot about me, even though we shared such a beautiful first date? If I recall, it started off just like this too! Heheheh…”

“Wha…” the dark alicorn trailed off, thinking. She kept her hold on him though, making the silence awkward. Finally, she seemed to remember just who he was, and blushed lightly. “YOU! Oh m-my, I’m, SO sorry! I completely forgot, it’s been so long!”

“Don’t sweat it,” Tory smiled at her. “Glad to see that our time together wasn’t forgotten. But let me ask you this. Can you remember my name?”

“It was…” Luna started once more. “It was… Terry, right?”

“Oh, so close!” the human/alicorn laughed. “Nah, it was Tory! You were close though, so you get a consolation prize! A nice long kiss!”

Before the dark alicorn had a chance to react, Tory leaned in, and locked lips with her. He let all of his love for her seep into it, and wrapped his hooves around her waist. Luna’s eyes widened for a second, but then she leaned into him. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Tory pulled back.

“How was that for a consolation prize?” he laughed.

“Oh my,” Luna blushed. “If that was a consolation, what was the prize if I got it right?”

Tory leaned over and whispered something EXTREMELY inappropriate to her. She blushed a super deep red, and the human/alicorn chuckled lightly to himself. Luna backed up, letting him fall to the ground. As he got up, he looked around. He saw the place where he and Fluttershy had shared that romantic moment before, and grinned.

“Y-You wouldn’t have actually done that, would you?” Luna asked him, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“You and I were just about to do something similar not even five minutes ago,” he laughed. “But no, not exactly THAT! I just wanted to mess with you a bit!”

“Grrr, you big meanie!” she growled playfully. She quickly tackled him to the ground, and wrestled around with him. “I’ll show you!”

“Hey!” Tory complained as a hoof hit him in the back of the head. “Easy there! I’m not invincible you know!”

“Oh, sorry,” she said, embarrassed as she got off of him. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s alright,” he smiled at her. “It feels good to actually play around, am I right? I bet Celestia makes you do all sorts of boring work.”

“Yes, but she means well,” Luna defended calmly. “Tia just wants to make sure I grow up into a responsible Princess.”

“I think you’ll do fine,” Tory told her, thinking about his lovely wife in his lifetime. She did a good enough job, he thought. “I have no doubt about that.”

“…Hey!” came a gruff voice that Tory was becoming familiar with. “Two-Tail, show some respect and bow before your princess!”

A smack hit the human/alicorn in the back of the head, and his face suddenly tasted dirt. Getting up, he turned to see Master Katsu glaring at him. His red eyes were showing an intensity that Tory wasn’t familiar with though. It wasn’t murderous, like with Discord, but it wasn’t playful, like he was used to seeing from almost everypony.

“Get your flank off the ground and get into the training room!” the older alicorn barked. “Just because you’re the third in command of Equestria’s army, and the personal bodyguard of Luna doesn’t mean you get to skip out on training!”

“Yes…Master,” Tory lowered his head. He turned back to his… I guess right now it is ‘secret marefriend’… and smiled. “I shall be back, Princess Luna.”

“Very well then,” she winked at him while Katsu had his back to her. “I shall tend to my duties, and await your return.”

Katsu shoved the young alicorn/human with his broken horn, causing a dull pain to arc through his flank. Eventually, the two made it up the many flights of stairs and through the maze of corridors into the training room. Master Katsu shoved him once more, and barked out his first set of instructions.

“Okay lover colt,” he started. “Enough focusing on your secret love. Show me your feints!”

“H-How is it that you know?” Tory asked, surprised.

“Remember, you kind of told me after the first day,” Katsu sighed, getting annoyed. “I figured it out after she made you her personal guard. Now focus and start feinting!”

Tory took an active stance, with his hooves spread out, and charged at the older alicorn. He weaved left and right, like he’d seen the real Two-Tail do in their sparring match. He moved left, right, left again, then ri-nope he’s on the left! Katsu just stood there, his eyes following the human/alicorn carefully. Tory had the feeling his attempts to deceive weren’t working, and quickly jumped as he came within attacking range of his master.

The alicorn’s eyes widened as his pupil came down on top of him. Tory quickly planted his hooves on the older one’s chest, pinning him to the floor. He reached down, and acted like he was biting into Katsu’s neck. Really, it was instinct now, being kept in check though.

“Guh,” Katsu mumbled. “Not… Not bad Tails, you’re getting better. That was a good feint.”

“Actually, I hadn’t intended to jump,” Tory admitted, getting off him. “I only did it because I felt my weaving wasn’t working.”

“Even better!” his master smiled. “You improvised when you thought your original tactic was failing! Maybe we can turn you into a decent fighter yet!”

“Right!” the human/alicorn smiled. “Then let’s continue training!”

I.I.I Memory Recollection 2 (Break) Returning to current time period I.I.I

Raven Smite smiled as he happily flew through the clouds. He was on his way to Ponyville, to go see his new marefriend, Derpy Hooves, or Ditzy Doo as he preferred to call her. After that wedding the previous day, he and she had spent a good amount of together. He was feeling confident about this relationship.

Most of his attempts to form a stable love life had always been interrupted by his job, which pulled him away from whatever pony he was with at the time. He was called into work so often, that most of the mares he dated broke it off with him within two months, saying that he didn’t give them enough attention. He wanted to, but his job was VERY important, and if he wasn’t there, then the pegasi generals would end up losing over half of their aerial forces. They were THAT incompetent!

[You should just tell them to take a hike, and get some action for yourself!] came a heavy, violent voice inside Raven’s head. [Who cares what happens to Equestria?!]

came a calm, softer voice.

Oh yeah, Raven had multiple personalities. There was Steel, the insane and really violent one. He was idiotic, slightly psychotic, and always trying to get the pegasus to do something stupid. One time he almost convinced his host to climb a fifty foot rock wall without ropes! He lived in the right side of Raven’s mind, and whenever he talked, that respective eye would twitch.

Then there was Cold, the calming one. He always thought before he acted, and kept things organized. He was the thinker out of all three of them. He kept Steel in check, and pulled up memories whenever Raven asked. Cold lived in Raven’s mind, on the left side, and made that eye twitch whenever he talked too.

“While Cold is right, I also want a successful love life,” Raven told them. “Which is why I’m still trying to have a marefriend. Now, will you both please keep quiet and let me go about with Ditzy in peace?”

[Yeah yeah,] Steel said dismissively. [I won‘t bother your little date! Just try to get some action already!]

Cold rebuked the violent persona.

“Good,” the auburn pegasus smiled as he landed in the gardens of a cloud home. He walked up to the door and knocked lightly. “I want to keep Ditzy as my marefriend. She’s been better than all of the others combined.”

The familiar gray-ish pegasus opened the door, and Raven smiled at her. She blushed a bit, and invited him inside. He walked over to her couch, and took a seat. Ditzy quickly dashed into another room, and came back with a small box that was wrapped in decorative paper.

“Here, it’s a little gift,” she smiled at him. “I thought you might like it.”

“Anything from you is the perfect gift,” he grinned back. “Everypony would have to be crazy to not see that.”

“Please, stop,” she blushed. “You say such nice things. But I…”

“What? You don’t deserve them?” Raven looked at her carefully. “Is something troubling you?”

“I just… never had a coltfriend before,” she admitted, turning away. “Most guys just… keep away from me.”

“I don’t see why,” he smiled at her, getting up. The auburn pegasus spread a wing and placed it over Ditzy. “You’re pretty great in my opinion. I’ve had a few other marefriends before, but they weren’t as nice or as fun as you. I think that those others that try to keep away are blind if they can’t see that you’re really amazing.”

The gray-ish pegasus blushed deeper, and looked at him. Her amber eyes were shining, both with tears and joy. Raven did the only thing that seemed appropriate for the moment… he kissed her. He leaned in and just gave her a light kiss on the lips. As he pulled back, he saw Ditzy with the deepest blush he’d ever seen.

“That was… my first kiss,” she whispered, placing a hoof on her lips.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Raven apologized. “I hope I wasn’t to forward…”

“No!” she told him quickly. “I was just surprised! It’s fine…really.”

Ditzy looked at him with those gentle eyes of hers, and rested her head on his shoulder. Raven led the gray-ish pegasus over to the couch, and had her take a seat. As he placed himself beside her, she handed the still wrapped gift to him. He grinned, and slowly opened the present, enjoying every moment that he was spending with his marefriend.

Inside the box was a little necklace, two metal dog tags really. One held his name on it, and the other had his cutie mark, both were engraved into their respective tags. They looked a little rough, but still pretty detailed. It must’ve been done by hoof, and it probably took a large amount of time.

“I spent a lot of time making it,” Ditzy said, smiling. “I hope you like it.”

“Like it?” he asked incredulously, placing the tags over his head and around his neck. “I LOVE IT! Nopony has ever done something this fantastic! I’ve only known you for two days now, and already you’ve done something so much more incredible than anything any other mare I’ve met has done!”

“Yay,” the gray-ish pegasus squeed quietly. “I’m so happy!”

“This has been the highlight of my whole love life,” Raven smiled at her. “Honestly… I think I might be in love…”

“…I…I…” Ditzy stammered, blushing and turning away. The auburn pegasus scooted closer to her and rested a hoof on her shoulder. She looked at him, her eyes watering up. “I think… maybe… I am too…”

Now it was Raven’s turn to look away, his already red face hiding his slight blush. Ditzy giggled, and threw her hooves around him, pulling the auburn pegasus into a hug. He leaned into her, and sniffed the buttercup scent in her mane. It was the most intoxicating aroma he’d ever smelled.

“…C’mon,” he grinned, getting off his flank. “I believe it’s time for our date.”

“…Yes,” she smiled back. “Let’s go!”

I.I.I

Raven Smite and Ditzy Doo walked through Canterlot, a park more specifically heading towards a restaurant that the auburn pegasus frequented about once every two weeks. It was a high class place, where even the deepest of wallets could be burned through. The only reason he was able to visit this place and not end up broke was because his job cut all bills down to about a third of what it was supposed to be. That meant he could actually eat here twice a week, and still have enough to take care of himself.

“I think you’ll like this place,” Raven was telling Ditzy. “These ponies really know how to make a good meal.”

“If it’s with you, I’m happy,” she smiled at him.

The auburn pegasus blushed, turned away, and noticed something in the distance. It looked like a giant wooden block, quickly moving in their direction. Squinting his eyes, Raven was able to make out a few details on the object. He saw four wheels, and a door, which meant that it must be a carriage, a shoddy one at that. If he recalled, there weren‘t many that traveled so badly. In fact… Oh snap!

Without realizing it, the large wooden missile had come within crushing range of the two pegasi. Instinctively, Raven grabbed Ditzy, and jumped to the side, just in time as the carriage wheeled right past where they’d been not even two seconds ago. The worn out, wooden behemoth began to slow down, finally stopping about eighty feet from where the two lovers were just getting up from their near death encounter.

“What is that?” Ditzy asked, shaking some grass out of her mane.

“…I think it’s everyone’s least favorite unicorn,” Raven sighed. “C’mon, let’s get going before we’re dragged into this.”

“Dragged into what?” came the gray-ish pegasus’ obvious question.

“COME ONE, COME ALL!!” cried out an annoyingly familiar voice to the pegasi lieutenant. “COME SEE THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE PERFORM TRICKS THAT YOU COULD ONLY DREAM OF!!!”

“…Dragged into her show,” Raven glared at the blue unicorn show-off. “If we leave now, we might be able to avoid being seen.”

Just as he said that, Trixie turned towards them. She smirked evilly, and picked the two of them up with her magic. Ditzy tried to struggle out of her hold, but she only succeeded in exhausting herself. The magic user deposited them hard on the ground, that smug expression on her face.

“Well well well,” Trixie laughed, looking at them. “If it isn’t Raven Smite! Trixie knew you’d be crawling back one day! All colts do, when they see ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ coming!”

“Hmph,” Raven snorted. “Still haven’t fixed that arrogance of your’s huh? I’m not back for you, I’m here with the best thing I’ve ever known to happen to me, even better than when I left YOU anyways!”

“P-Please stop,” Ditzy blushed. “I’m not… that special…”

“To me you are,” he smiled softly at her.

“Well Trixie NEVER!” Trixie huffed. “You dare to bring a peasant girl before the ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’?!”

“Still so full of yourself,” the auburn pegasus shook his head. “You forget your place! If I can see clearly, your ‘carriage’, if it can be called that, is a piece of junk! The walls are falling apart, the roof is littered with holes, and the wheels look like they’re about to shatter under the weight of all the trash you keep inside there. If anyone has ever been a peasant, it’s you Trixie!”

“R-Raven, can we go?” Ditzy asked, feeling the negative vibes her coltfriend was exuding.

“Of course,” he soothed, his eyes softening as they looked at the beautiful pegasus. “Anything you want.”

“You dare to walk away from Trixie?!” the blue unicorn asked incredulously, watching the two of them turn and leave. “Such insolence!”

Without warning, she picked the two of them up with her magic, and dragged them back to her. She held the duo in place, her eyes flaring angrily. Ditzy was scared, not from intimidation, but for the fact that their date was being ruined by such a mean pony! Raven, on the other hand, was starting to get angry, much for the same reason.

“Look Trixie,” he began, spreading his wings and puffing out his chest. “Things ended between us LONG ago! I wasn’t interested after that first week, and you were seriously starting to get on my nerves, like you’re doing right now! I’m with Ditzy, and there is nothing you can do about that! Now I suggest putting us down before I let my rank as Lieutenant take over, and arrest you for disturbing the peace, misuse of magic…” Raven stopped, sniffing the air, and turned his head towards Trixie‘s wooden death trap. “Do I smell narcotics in your carriage? I can arrest you for possession and driving under the influence right now! Let us go, and I MIGHT consider turning my head away.”

“Are you threatening Trixie?” the blue unicorn questioned. “Stupid little colt! Trixie cares not who you are! Trixie will do as she pleases!”

To prove her point, she used her magic, and slammed Raven into the ground. As he was raised back into the air, he gasped, feeling something in his back snap out of place. Ditzy looked at him, saw the pain in his eyes, and started to cry. Was all of this anger and violence really necessary?

“Why are you so mean?!” she asked Trixie. “We never did anything to you! We just want to go on our date!”

“Oh, on a date are you?” the blue unicorn sneered. “I’m SO sorry! Let Trixie make it up to you by getting rid of this horrid colt!”

Using her magic, Trixie lowered Ditzy to the ground slowly, released her, then proceeded to smash Raven into a tree. His cries of pain struck the gray pegasus down to her core. With a snort, she rushed the blue unicorn, and began to pummel her into the dirt, not full force, but enough to hopefully discourage Trixie.

“LEAVE MY COLTFRIEND ALONE!!!” Ditzy shouted in between punches.

“GET OFF OF TRIXIE!” the magic user retorted, forcing the pegasus back and into another tree. But when she did that, she forgot about Raven, who had just seen what happened.

“DITZY!” he cried out, rage engulfing all of his other emotions. He glared at Trixie, and spoke softly. “Nopony hurts my girl!”

“HOLD IT!” came a familiar voice from the side. The pegasus and unicorn turned to see Twilight Sparkle and Fantasia standing there, anger on their faces.

“Ah, Trixie’s least favorite pony!” the blue unicorn sneered. “Why are you here Twilight?”

She spat out that name like it was the most disgusting thing she’d ever heard. The purple unicorn stepped forward, getting beside her friend. Raven gave her a grateful smile, and quickly dashed over to his marefriend. Fantasia stepped forward, and glared at Trixie.

“…Hello, sister!” the white unicorn hissed. “What are you doing in Canterlot?”

“…Fantasia,” Trixie growled. “Trixie thought you had stayed behind in that backwater town!”

“I did, until Princess Luna found me,” she countered. “I’m being trained in the ways of GOOD magic by her! What are you doing? Still going around and robbing people of their bits blind?”

“You two are related?!” Twilight asked, looking between them.

“Hush yourself!” Trixie snapped. “This is a family matter, and we do not need amateurish ponies intervening!”

“Twilight can be here if she wants!” Fantasia responded, stepping forward. “Besides, it’s not just about family! Not when you hurt our friends!”

“They are of no consequence to Trixie,” the blue unicorn dismissed them. “But you two are. Trixie should punish you both here and now!”

At this point, a large crowd had formed around these ponies. The blue magic user sneered, and walked over to her carriage, where she pressed a button and it started to change. The roof and wall detached from one side, and uncurled itself, making what looked like a stage. The items within were revealed, showing what looked like many props, a few personal items, such as a bed and mirror, and a sign that said ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’. All of these things were in different shades of blue that were similar to their owner’s color.

“What better way to defeat you than on a stage in front of a large audience?” she laughed. “Oh, Trixie is going to enjoy this!”

“You have issues,” Fantasia commented, shaking her head. “Twilight, what do you think about all this?”

“…I can’t believe how long she holds a grudge,” the purple unicorn sighed.

“You‘ve met my sister before?” the white one asked.

“Unfortunately,” Twilight nodded. “She was showing off in Ponyville one day, and after two little fillies brought an Ursa Minor into town -because your sister was gloating about how she could defeat an Ursa Major- she was proved to be a fraud. I ended up solving the crisis by using my own magic to lull the creature back to sleep.”

“You DARE to bring that up, now of all times?!” Trixie shouted. “Twilight Sparkle, your defeat shall be slow and horrifying!”

“Ditzy, please wake up!” Raven called, grabbing everypony’s attention. His eyes were brimming with tears. “Twilight, I can’t get her to open her eyes!”

“Hmph! Servers her right,” the blue unicorn huffed. “She had the audacity to touch Trixie! She gets what she deserves!”

“Grrrr!” the auburn pegasus snarled, scraping a hoof along the ground. His eyes flashed, The right one red and the left one black. “I’m going to rip your head off! NOPONY HURTS DITZY!!!”

“Raven, don’t!” Twilight stopped him, using her magic to hold his hooves in place. “This isn’t the time, or the place!”

“LET ME GO!!” he roared, struggling within her magical hold. “I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE GET AWAY WITH HURTING MY MAREFRIEND!!!”

“Such tripe!” Trixie laughed. “She was weak, and so are you! Trixie doesn’t know what she saw in you!”

“GRRR!!! STOP TALKING IN THIRD PERSON!!!” Raven raged on. “THAT IS SO ANNOYING!!!”

“Twilight, can I ask you to do something?” Fantasia broke in. She continued when the purple unicorn nodded. “Please take Raven and Ditzy to the nearest hospital. I think there is one a short distance down the road. I’ll stay here and handle my sister!”

“YOU handle TRIXIE?!” the blue magic user scoffed. “It seems being the apprentice to a weak alicorn has gone to your head!”

Before anypony had a chance to intervene, Twilight teleported herself and the two pegasi away from the clearing. The crowd that had formed closed around the two sisters, waiting to see what would happen. Fantasia glared at the blue unicorn, her eyes showing all anger that had been accumulated over the years.

“Sister, I’ve been waiting for this day,” Fantasia growled. “Ever since you left me for dead in the Everfree forest, I’ve walked a lonely and hard road. Now, I’ve been given friends, family, and a purpose! You will NOT hurt anypony close to me, and I will make you regret all of your actions up until this point!”

“Come at Trixie then,” the show-off taunted. “Or are you all bark and no bite?”

In response, Fantasia activated her magic, and ripped off some of the curtains on the stage. She wrapped them around her sister, mummifying her so tightly, most would think she was suffocating inside the fabric. But Trixie released herself with her own magic, and tripped up the white unicorn by hog-tying her hooves together. She laughed at her sister struggled free.

“Just as Trixie thought,” she gloated. “A weak master makes for a weak apprentice!”

“Don’t you DARE call Teacher weak!” Fantasia snarled.

She managed to untangle herself, and discarded the curtain. With a glare, her horn glowed brightly, and so did the entire stage. With a groan, Fantasia lifted the whole carriage into the air, and broke it into small pieces. Shards of wood flew down over Trixie and covered her until she was neck deep in the stuff.

Once more, the blue unicorn’s horn glowed, and the wood flew off in all directions, spraying the entire crowd. Some cried out in protest, other retreated to a good distance. Either way, the ring around the two sisters grew larger. Now it was deathly silent in the clearing. A gentle breeze blew, causing Trixie’s mane to get in her eyes. As she used a hoof to brush it away, she closed her eyes. When she opened them, Fantasia was gone. She smirked, thinking that the pony had been scared off. Just as she did though, she was lifted into the air, a white glow surrounding her, and she knew that her sister had only dashed around her.

With a heave, Fantasia slammed Trixie into the ground. She focused her magic around the blue unicorn’s hooves, and began to pull in four separate directions. The show-off began to scream in agony, her limbs slowly being ripped out of their sockets.

Now Fantasia wasn’t normally like this. She preferred to keep out of the way. But after everything she’d seen and heard, a strong rage had consumed all love that had remained for her sister. There was only the anger that had accumulated over the years, released when her friends had been hurt and insulted. Now, Trixie was no longer her sister, just another pony that should be hated!

“S-Sister, stop!” Trixie begged.

“Why should I?” Fantasia snarled. “You never stopped! You ditched your own flesh and blood in a deadly forest because her magic wasn’t ‘good enough’! You ripped off pony after pony with your performances and lies! You insulted my Teacher, and HURT. MY. FRIENDS!!!”

The white unicorn pulled tighter, forcing Trixie to scream so loudly, it pierced the eardrums of most ponies in the clearing. But still, Fantasia didn’t let up. Her rage was practically engulfing her, the only shred of her former self that was showing were her eyes, which were understandably filled with remorse. After another minute of seeing her sister in such pain, Fantasia finally gave in to her passiveness. She dropped her magic, letting Trixie collapse on the ground, who promptly curled up into a ball.

“…I’m done here,” Fantasia finally said, turning away. She took a few steps, and then looked at the crowd. “Everypony, I’m sorry that you had to see this. Please, forgive me. As for Trixie, I’d recommend dismissing her from this great city, or it may become tainted, like her.”

Just as the crowd parted for her, Fantasia was lifted up, and dragged back towards the center. She managed to turn around, and was promptly greeted with an enraged Trixie! The blue unicorn snorted, and her eyes flashed red for a second. Her horn glowed darker, and so did the glow around the white unicorn. She was lifted high into the air at a speed that could rival Rainbow Dash on a good day, to a point where most pegasi had difficulty reaching. The magic around her stopped, and Fantasia began to plummet towards the earth.

On the ground, Trixie had grabbed many of the wooden shards from her carriage. She levitated them with her magic, and pushed them together, creating a large, and very deadly spike. Some of the crowd gasped, realizing what the blue unicorn had planned. She wanted to kill Fantasia! A few of the more bold ponies charged at the wooden object, trying to break it apart with punches and kicks. Trixie simply pushed them back with her magic.

“None will get in the way of Trixie’s rage!” she shouted triumphantly.

Some of the pegasi watching gathered up the courage to try and save Fantasia from her fall. They flew up after her, but the ones closest were hit, the white unicorn falling to fast to catch. The ponies farther back had to stop and save the others that they could. That meant everything they tried was useless.

“She will die, and soon Twilight will follow her!” Trixie laughed.

“NOT ON OUR WATCH!!”

The blue unicorn turned to see Twilight Sparkle standing there. She glared at Trixie, and her horn glowed purple. The spike that had been built started to crumble, returning to the small shards of wood they had once been. Then the purple unicorn raised her head to the skies, followed by the other watchers. They saw a red blur diving towards Fantasia. It was Raven!

He was slowly catching up with her, his red and yellow spiked mane whipping like crazy as he gained speed. His auburn wings were slicing through the gusts that buffeted him, slicing the wind resistance to near nothing. The crowd watched in silence as he closed in on Fantasia, the two of them rapidly approaching the ground.

“Almost…there!” Raven shouted over the winds, reaching out for the unicorn. “Just… a little… more!”

Fantasia heard him over the winds, and looked in his direction. Her eyes lit up when she saw who it was, and reached out for him. The two were nearly at the ground, just a couple hundred feet left. Some of the crowd turned away, afraid of what they’d see. Raven pushed himself as hard as he would go, and managed to grab a hold of Fantasia. He pulled up as hard as he could, just barely missing the ground with his friend in his hooves.

The crowd gave a cheer of joy as the two of them touched down. Fantasia shook her mane, glad to be on the ground and still alive. Another second, and she would’ve been a pancake! As the roar died down, everypony turned to glare at Trixie, who looked absolutely furious!

“You three are a constant thorn in Trixie’s side!” she snarled. “She should be rid of you! For now, Trixie will make her escape!”

The blue unicorn turned around, made a puff of smoke that covered the clearing, and was gone. A few of the ponies in the crowd began to look for her, not finding a single trace. Twilight turned to her friends, and gave a sigh of relief. She trotted over, and smiled at them. It looks like the worst kind of trouble had been avoided.

“That…was close!” Raven gasped, trying to get his breath back. “Way… too close!”

“Th-Thanks,” Fantasia smiled at him. “I owe you.”

“Don’t worry… about it,” he grinned back. “Anything… for a friend!”

“But that Trixie!” Twilight growled. “I thought she was bad before! How low can you get, trying to kill your own sister?”

“It’s not the first time really,” the white unicorn shrugged. “She ditched me in the Everfree forest years ago!”

‘What?!” Raven and Twilight asked, incredulous.

“It’s a long story,” Fantasia started. “Let’s go somewhere more private first.”

“The hospital, where Ditzy is,” Raven suggested. “I don’t want to be away from her for too long.”

The three ponies began to walk back to where their friend was. There were some things that needed to be explained, and that was just what was about to happen…

I.I.I Memory Recollection 2: Returning to previous time period I.I.I

Night had finally fallen, and Tory walked through the halls slowly. He was sore from the training, and now he was returning to his ‘post’. Basically, he was Luna’s personal guard when not learning from Katsu. It was a nice job to have in his opinion. He got to be close to his girl, and maybe even learn a few things that could be useful when he awoke from this dreamscape. The human/alicorn made his way back to the throne room, where the dark alicorn he loved was at this time.

“Hey, Tails!” came a soft voice from a side corridor. He turned to see a small pegasus, still just a filly. “Where are you going?”

“Oh hi,” Tory answered, not sure who this was. “Just getting back to my post.”

“…Are you okay?” the filly asked, looking up at him with big green eyes.

She was about half of Tory’s height, and she was a light pink, much like Fluttershy‘s mane. She had long, flowing, yellow hair that curtained behind her, sort of like Fluttershy‘s hair as well. This pony was like a reversal of his beautiful wife! Her smile was kind of contagious, and she bounced a bit. There was this familiar glow in her eyes that made the human/alicorn uncomfortable. Admiration? That sounded right. Tory was never the popular one, never. But Tails, was well known! That meant others would treat him with a certain level of respect, and evidently, admiration if they were younger.

“…Uh, my eyes are playing tricks on me,” Tory lied, raising a hoof and circling it around his eyes for emphasis. “I got hit a little too hard during training. I can’t see clearly, so, who are you?”

“Hmph!” the filly huffed. “It’s me, Butterfly! You know, your adopted daughter?”

“My WHAT?!” Tory exclaimed, forgetting that he was supposed to act like Tails.

Since when did Two-Tail get a daughter?! He forgot to mention that! That was something one usually brought up about their past. ‘Oh yeah, I saved Luna, have two tails, and oh, I’ve got a daughter! She looks like your wife!’ The human/alicorn looked at the filly carefully, and saw her starting to cry. He cursed himself for losing control, and shouting like that. While he was starting to get accustomed to these random events, there were still a few things that could make him do a double-take. This had been one of those moments.

“I’m uh sorry,” Tory apologized, stretching and placing a wing over the filly. “I told you I got hit pretty hard. It must’ve knocked all of my memories loose or something. Don’t worry Butterfly, I remember you!”

“You…You mean it?” she sniffled, looking up at him with those green eyes of hers.

“Of course,” he smiled gently at her. “So, how can your…father… help you?”

Tory wasn’t used to using that word. In fact, he had never referred to himself like that. It was weird, knowing that he had a kid, and that he was raising her. But it was also kind of cool! Tails had been kind enough to take care of this little filly by himself! That said plenty about how he changed over the years. Maybe this little pony was the reason Tory had been drawn to Fluttershy? The two were almost identical, save for the colors. If his wife had been here and a filly, it would be like looking at twins almost!

“W-Well,” she started, her voice similar to Fluttershy’s. “I’ve… found somepony…”

“…You mean you like them, right?” Tory ventured.

The little filly blushed, so much like his wife that it was scaring him. Then the human/alicorn had a thought. What if this girl was a distant ancestor of Fluttershy’s? Could Two-Tail have raised this child, who then started a family of her own, and somewhere along the line, Fluttershy was born?

“Y-Yes,” Butterfly stammered, making Tory’s beliefs more solid. “I-I m-met him… a f-few days a-ago. He was r-really nice, and…”

“You don’t have to say anymore,” the human/alicorn smiled at her. “Let me guess. You want my advice on how to do things, am I right? You want to know what to say, how to act, and everything else?” He continued when she nodded. “Well Butterfly, there is no secret to dating. You can try to act like how you think he wants you to, maybe say things you think he wants to hear, but you never know. The only thing you can do… and this is what I suggest you try before anything else… just, be, yourself.”

“B-But-”

“No no,” Tory cut her off, raising a hoof. “Trust me, if this colt is as nice as you say he is, then he’ll accept you for who you are. Just give it a try, and if things don’t work out, he wasn’t the one for you. Trust me Butterfly.”

“O-Okay,” she said quietly, so much like Fluttershy. “Th-Thank you Tails.”

“Please, call me Dad,” Tory joked, smiling at her.

“A-Alright…Daddy,” Butterfly laughed.

The small filly turned and began to trot down the corridor happily. Tory couldn’t help but smile at how cute she looked, so much like his wife. And she actually called him ‘Daddy’! He was just playing around, and she still did it! Wow, this was one heck of a memory! So much happened, in such a short day! The human/alicorn walked down the halls, much happier than when he started.

Finally he made it to the throne room, where he was to stand guard beside Luna, the most beautiful of alicorns in his eyes. Tory slowly opened the double doors, and walked in. He saw his future wife and sister-in-law…Wow, he just realized that Celestia was an In-Law! That in itself was a BIG thing!… But he saw the two of them sitting in their thrones, listening to a couple of ponies, two of each race, arguing about something. Tory walked over and sat down beside Luna.

“Sorry I’m late,” he whispered to her. “I was stopped by my daughter…Who I never knew I had!”

“Tails never told you?” the dark alicorn asked quietly. “That seems like something he should mention.”

“I thought the same thing,” Tory grinned. He turned to the six ponies arguing. “What’re they fighting about?”

“Just the war going on,” Luna sighed. “Listen for yourself.”

“I’m telling you, we have to attack them directly!” an earth pony shouted at the two pegasi. “If we strike before they have a chance to do anything, we can take this whole war before it even truly begins!”

“And I’M telling you, that will only provoke a counter offensive!” one of the unicorns yelled at him. “We should focus on shoring our defenses!”

“We shouldn’t do either of those!” a pegasus cried at them. “We should perform a sneak attack! We can cripple them and not need to build our walls!”

“And while you six argue, nothing is being done!” Luna sternly broke in. “We need to reach a decision. Sister, what do you think?”

“… I think we should send a messenger,” the white alicorn answered after a few seconds. “Anything we do that looks like we’re preparing for a fight could set off the griffons.”

“Glad somepony is using their head!” Tory thought to himself. “Of course, this is why she is the Princess. Calm, level-headed, and calculating, the best at what she does!”

“Thank you Tory,” Celestia smiled at him.

The boy nodded, and turned back to the six ponies. It took him a few seconds to realize that she had not called him ‘Tails’. When he did, the human/alicorn did a double take, and stared at the Princess. Luna was doing the same thing, having realized it a few seconds earlier. Celestia just smiled at them, her face one of knowing and understanding.

“Excuse me Generals,” she turned to them. “I must talk with my sister and her guard in private. Would you please leave us?”

“…How’d you know?” Tory asked when the six ponies left.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” Celestia laughed gently. “I felt a surge of magic a few years ago, but thought nothing of it. I felt the same surge earlier today, and saw Tails this morning, gliding out of your window, sister. I decided to take action, but discreetly, and well, I broke into Tory’s mind. I learned who he was, and why he was here. After that, I kept a piece of my mind within him, listening to his every thought.”

“And here I was, thinking I’d managed to…oh right. That’s in MY body!” Tory realized. “I don’t have that magic anymore…”

“…Can somepony explain things clearly?” Luna asked, looking between them.

“Tory and Tails are the same person,” the white alicorn explained. “After his death, Two-Tail was reborn in the human world. But there was still the human soul that lived within that body, and Tory was the host. He grew up with the alicorn inside him, slowly adapting his personality. The only difference is since he picked it up sooner, he was able to grow around it, and became an individual.”

“That explains the difference in the way the two of them act,” Luna nodded. “But not what he was just talking about.”

“Hey Princess,” Tory spoke up. “Is there any way I can get my human body? It feels weird like this.”

“Of course,” Celestia nodded. “It would actually be better for Luna to see the real you as well.”

Celestia stood up, and her horn glowed golden. Tory’s alicorn body started to warp a second later, his front hooves extending out and back. His spine popped loudly, and his face shrank in a bit. Luna watched in horror as the alicorn she’d known for years changed into this unusual and strange creature. It took only a minute for the actual transformation, but the silence that followed lasted what felt like an eternity.

“…Yeah,” Tory nodded, realizing that he was completely nude. “…This is awkward.”

“Oh my,” Celestia blushed, realizing what was wrong. “My apologies.”

Her horn glowed once more, and the clothes the boy had worn to bed after his fun with his lover appeared. He cast a grateful look at the white alicorn, and turned to his wife. He smiled at her, and took a seat on the floor, crossing his now human legs. Luna continued to stare at him, her mouth gaping.

“…I know I’m different physically,” the boy started. “But I’m still Tory. This is just what I really look like.”

“…I…” the dark alicorn whispered.

“…Hey Celestia,” Tory smiled at her. “Does this count as you trolling on her?”

“No it doesn’t,” the white alicorn laughed. “But maybe it can count as my first prank?”

“That works,” the human chuckled. He turned to the dark alicorn and grew serious. “…Luna, am I scaring you like this?”

“N-No!” she finally responded, a light blush. “I was simply… surprised. But now…”

To finish that statement, she tackled Tory and began to lavish him in hugs and kisses. So caught off-guard, he wasn’t sure what to do. Finally, Luna backed off of him, realizing that her sister was watching the whole thing unfold. Celestia chuckled lightly, and walked out of the room. The human understood what she was doing, and was grateful for her understanding.

“I thought a human would be this horrible, detestable creature,” the dark alicorn commented, looking him up and down. “But you are neither. You’re kind of cute actually.”

“Heh thanks,” Tory blushed, getting off the floor. “Still, nothing compares to the radiant and majestic beauty that you possess.”

“You certainly have a way with words, don’t you?” Luna smiled, a blush on her face as well. “Maybe we should talk somewhere a little more… private?”

The human caught the hint in that suggestion, and turned a deeper shade of red. Luna laughed, but she herself found the idea kind of embarrassing. Of course, the two of them had been about to a similar thing just that morning, had that one maid not picked that very moment to knock.

“A-Anything you want, Princess,” Tory joked, bowing in a mock gesture. Luna laughed again, and got up beside him.

The two made for the door out of the throne room, and were about to leave when a crashing sound could be heard behind them. Tory turned to see about ten griffons charging at them with confident grins. The human stepped forward, going to protect Luna, when he realized that he didn’t have his magic. He was just about useless right now! One of the large beasts swatted him aside, and he was sent flying into a pillar. The dark alicorn he loved cried out as she was grabbed by another and lifted up. She struggled within its grasp, and even used her magic to force its grip open, and slam it into the ground. More swarmed Luna, and began to assault her. She fought back, knocking out three of them, but the remaining six managed to knock her out with a well aimed strike.

Tory climbed to his feet, and charged at one of them, rearing back his fist. A griffon saw him, and batted him back like he was just a toy. The human slid across the floor, and hit his head on the wall. His vision was surrounded with stars, but he ignored the building pain, and slowly struggled to stand up. As his sight returned, he saw the griffons flying out the window they crashed through.

“DAMN!” Tory swore. “If only I could fly! I need my wings!”

Tory knew that right now, he was near powerless. That hurt him very much. Luna was his wife, and he’d protect her as much as Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash. There was no way he’d let those monsters get away with this! Without thinking, he dashed out of the throne room, and down the halls. The human passed a few ponies that were going towards the sound of the commotion, and saw some of them had swords. He stopped, grabbed two from some of them, and continued his rush down the halls, heading for the nearest exit.

“Tory!” came Celestia’s voice behind him. The boy stopped for a second and looked back, his face showing all of his rage. “What just happened?”

“Run with me, and I’ll tell you!” he answered, turning back towards the hall. He heard the sound of hooves smashing the floor and knew that the Princess was following. “Short version is that a bunch of Griffons attacked and ponynapped Luna! I’m going to hunt them down!”

“You’ll never catch them at this rate!” the white alicorn reasoned. “You’ll have to be much faster if you want to catch them!”

“…Will you help me?” Tory asked, still running. “Never thought I’d be asking this…but can I ride you?”

“Wh-What?” Celestia exclaimed, keeping up. “I don’t think so…”

“Princess, it’s for Luna, my wife, your sister, and another princess!” the boy argued. “Think about it like this! If they successfully take her hostage, they could use her against you! A princess as a hostage is a very nice strategic advantage!”

“I…” the white alicorn starts. Eventually, she nods with a determined look. “…Alright, get on.”

She lowers part of herself, and he quickly hops on. She spreads her wings, and the two of them fly down the halls and out a window with lightning speed. Tory squints as the wind resistance hits his face. He holds the two swords close to him, trying to make them avoid Celestia’s wings. The human and alicorn slowly increase speed, and soon, they see the griffons ahead of them.

“Princess, we need to focus on the one with Luna!” Tory shouted over the wind. “If we get her back, then their whole plan is foiled! If you can get me over to just one of those bastards, I can save her! Do I have magic in this form?”

“Yes!” she called back. “It’s not very strong, since you don’t have Two-Tail, but you should be able to cast something simple! Oh, and you don’t have Discord’s magic either, so don’t try anything reckless!”

“I guess you still don’t know how love works, do you?” the human joked. “My whole existence is so I CAN be reckless for the ones I love!”

Before Celestia had a chance to say anything, Tory jumped off her back and onto a griffon below him. He gripped its feathers tightly, and positioned one of his blades on its throat. The creature tried to struggle, but when it felt the cold steel of the blade, he began to stop altogether.

“Now then, you are going to fly me over to Luna, or I will slit your throat right now!” Tory threatened. “You’ve got three seconds before I decide on the second choice!”

With a squeal of terror, the griffon quickly gained speed, and moved up to the front of the attackers. Luna was still unconscious, which made Tory’s job a bit easier. Her struggling would probably get them both killed. The human slit the throat of the griffon he was on, and quickly leapt to the one with a hostage. He didn’t make deals with villains, ever. They always backstabbed you!

“Okay you pathetic waste of flesh!” the boy snarled at the creature. “You’ve got two choices right now. The first is you can fly down to the ground, set us down gently, and maybe I’ll let you live, or I kill you now and use your body like a glider! The way I see it, there is only one way you can come out alive!”

“Freak! What are you?!” the thing cried out in a deep voice. “Have you any idea who you mess with?!”

“Do YOU have any idea how close this sword is to your neck?” Tory countered calmly angling the blade. “Now take us to the ground slowly, or I WILL kill you!”

Instead, the griffon bucked a bit, and slung the human off his back. Tory plummeted down to the ground, but at the last second, something caught him. He turned back to see Celestia had flown down and saved him from a certain death by grabbing a hold of his leg. The human was set down on the ground, and the two of them watched the griffons escape.

“Damn, that was our only chance!” Tory cursed. “There’s no way we can catch them and fight, not unless I get my wings!”

“…Let’s return to the castle,” Celestia eventually said, her voice was calm but it was obvious how she felt by how sad her eyes looked. “We…cannot do any more…”

“…Change me back,” Tory looked at her, pure anger in his eyes. “I’m not letting anypony harm my beautiful Black Mage! I’ll die before then!”

“Tory, you aren’t thinking…” the white alicorn trailed off.

“I am,” the boy nodded. “I’m going to storm their castle, alone if I have to! But I need a body that’s agile, that can fly… I need the body of Two-Tail!”

“…” Celestia gave him a stern look, but his eyes held no hesitation, no fear, or anything else but anger and a strange calmness. “Alright, but promise me one thing. You’ll be careful?”

“As long as I can, and still get Luna back,” Tory promised. He looked back in the direction of the griffons. “…Time is running out. I need to change now…”

As if on cue, the human glowed golden for a second, and felt his body bend forward sharply. His face grew outward, and his arms extended to the same length as his legs, which were gaining hooves. A tail sprouted out of him twice, a long horn grew from his forehead, wings separated from his body, and his light brown hair darkened, then grew out, spiking at odd points. Finally, his body deepened to his favorite shade of green, a dark, pine green. Tory shook his head, clearing away the stars from his vision. He saw the clothing still on him and smirked. At least transforming with them on made the fabric alter as well.

“…Time to get to work,” he glared in the direction of those griffons. He used his magic to pick up the swords, and unfurled his wings. “Celestia, you go back to the castle! We can’t risk losing you too!”

Without waiting for a reply, Tory jumped into the air, and raced after the monsters that stole his wife. There would be no mercy for those fiends! He had one plan, and it was a very crude, simple one. He planned to bust down the front door, and kill any griffons that stood before him. Eventually, he would find his way to the throne room, where he’d force their leader to hand over Luna. Then he’d make his escape, and… and… die…

“I can’t let that stop me!” Tory shook his head. “I swore that I’d do everything I could to protect the ones I love, that includes dying for them! I have no qualms about this…”

After a good hour of flying in a single direction, the human/alicorn finally saw a large building in the distance. It was hard to identify, since it was so dark out now, but he managed to see an outline. He noticed a lot of movement near the front gates, and lowered himself into the shadows.

As he touched the ground behind a shrub, Tory noticed entire platoons of guards covering the perimeter, and even more in the air above. It would be near impossible for a single being to take out so many without a lot of magic. It looked like his first plan of storming in like Leeroy Jenkins wouldn’t work, otherwise he’d die faster than he could even say ‘Oops!’ The only other option was to sneak in somehow.

Tory looked around, and saw a small river in a ditch. He went over to it, and saw how it fed into a small cave under the castle. He remembered reading somewhere that people set up wells over these little caverns with rivers. If that was true, maybe ponies and griffons did as well? Thinking it was as good an opportunity as he could get, Tory shrugged and silently made his way into the cave.

“I can‘t fail,” Tory whispered to himself. “No one harms my wife, not in my lifetime! I‘ll make sure that whoever does pays dearly…”

After five minutes of wading through the shallow river in the dark, the human/alicorn saw a small light coming from the roof of the cave farther in. Tory came over to it, and looked up to see a few stars. He slowly spread his wings, and lifted himself up. His swords were pressed tightly to his body, to prevent any noise from them striking the side of the well. Unfortunately, the sides were not large enough to let his wings through while spread, and when he reached a certain point, the human/alicorn had to close them and climb up with his hooves pressed to the slick walls tightly. This was CONSIDERABLY dangerous, as one wrong move, and his hooves could come loose, and he’d either make a good amount of noise trying to save himself, or he’d crash into the water and have to start over again. Although, if the latter happened, then he’d still alert any guards to his presence.

Luckily, nothing went wrong, and Tory managed to reach the top of the well. He slowly and quietly poked his head over the side, and found himself in what looked like the castle gardens. There were exotic flowers everywhere, and they glowed in many vibrant colors. The human/alicorn wanted to just stay there and watch these beautiful plants bloom, but he understood that he was on a mission, and had no time for distractions.

Stealthily entering the corridors, Tory made his way to where he felt the throne room was. He had two ideas about where Luna would be kept. The first was in the dungeon, where most prisoners were held. The second was the throne room, where he assumed his future wife was. She was no ordinary prisoner of war, she was a princess, and a much too valuable hostage to just place in a dingy cell with a bunch of cutthroats and their like. Of course, this was just a guess. Nothing was for certain in these situations.

“Huff huff… Why is it that every castle is a friggin’ maze?!” Tory gasped as he galloped quietly down the halls.

“Hey!” called out a deep voice. Tory turned to see a griffon charging at him. “INTRUDER!!”

Without a second thought, the human/alicorn came forward, brought his front hooves down on the attacker, and used his magic to hold the blades to its neck. The creature tried to struggle, but when Tory had the blades come closer until its feathers were being cut off, he stopped his resisting.

“Now tell me,” Tory began in an icy cold and calm voice. “Where… is… Luna?”

“Why should I?” The griffon challenged in his deep voice. “Are you not here to steal her away?”

“YOU STOLE HER FIRST YOU HEARTLESS BASTARDS!!” the human/alicorn raged at him, rubbing the swords together, and causing sparks to fly. “Give... me... back... my WIFE!!”

“O-Okay okay!” The creature gave in, his voice betraying some of his fear. “I d-don't know exactly where she is, b-but I remember another griffon telling me th-that his team caught a pony earlier tonight! Th-Their barracks are in the Eastern Wing!”

“Now maybe you'd like to tell me how to get there?” Tory questioned, angling the blades so that the chimera could see his own fearful expression. “Answer quick, my magic is feeling a little jumpy...”

To emphasis his point, the human/alicorn brought one of the swords back quickly, slicing off a few feathers in the process. The griffon squawked loudly, and revealed the directions that would take him to where he wanted to go. Tory then used his weaker magic to throw the chimera into a small cupboard, where he was tied up and gagged. As he did, a small blue petal landed in the human/alicorn’s mane. No point in letting that thing leave and informing the rest of the castle to his presence.

“Stay in there and shut up,” Tory ordered the griffon. “I'm only here for Luna. Once she's free of your grasp, I'll be out of your mane.”

Locking the door to that room with his magic, the human/alicorn spread his wings, and took off down the halls. He knew where to go now, and with that information, he could finally prove to himself that he wasn't just all bark and no bite. Ever since Tory held Fluttershy in his arms... ever since her... death, he felt he couldn't do anything for his girls. Seriously, just days after getting his cutie mark, which symbolized his love and desire to protect the mare of his dreams, he had watched her die in his arms. If his special talent was to protect her, and he couldn't do that, than he clearly sucked at everything!

Saving Luna now wasn't just about his love for her, he would truly die for each of his wives if they so much as hinted at it, but this was also for his self-esteem. If he could save Luna, then Tory could feel whole again, and would know that he truly deserved what he had. He was willing to put everything aside to accomplish this goal, and that was what he was going to do.

“Huff... Huff.... Ugn!” Tory stopped, feeling something inside him pulse. “Wh-What the hell?! Gah!”

The human/alicorn's body began to shift about, his spine popping, and his hands... HANDS?! Tory watched himself go through the process of what could only be reverting to a human. It felt just like it had the first time, and his clothes even morphed with him. As it slowly ended, the completely human being sighed.

“Great, just my luck! What the hell could’ve…” Tory stopped as he saw a small blue leaf fall off his head. He caught it, and sighed heavily. “Great, just great. Poison Joke… Guess I’m gonna be stuck like this for a while.”

Picking up his two swords, Tory began to creep down the halls. In this form, he was weaker, slower, and his magic was cut to ribbons. He looked around every corner that he came by, made sure his steps didn’t echo, and held his swords in a ready position, should he be discovered again. But the human was surprised at how few guards were inside the castle. Were they all outside, protecting the perimeter, or clustered together around one or two important figures?

Finally reaching the Eastern Wing, Tory took a deep breath, and climbed the two flights that would take him into the barracks. He reached the top, paused at the double doors, and placed an ear to them. From the other room, he heard just two voices, both male and gruff like the ones from before.

“I heard that it’s that one pony…. You know, that moon pony?” one was saying to its companion. “That uh, that ali-whatsit.”

“Oh, you mean that one princess, Luna I think?

“Yeah, that’s the one!” the first agreed, getting into a relaxed position. “I can’t believe that one thing from our earlier assault. First that thing on two legs tries to attack us, and later it comes in on Celestia, trying to save that pony!”

“What was that species anyways? I’ve never seen it before.” the second griffon asked, laying down on its bed.

“Human, that’s what race I am,” Tory growled, entering the room. He noticed it was just the two of them and him in there, which was much better than barracks that were crowded. At least this way, he had a chance. “It’s also the last race that you will ever see!*

Before they had a chance to react to him, the human pinned the blades to their necks. He glared at the two chimera, his anger reaching dangerous levels. He towered over them, a dark and intense glare upon his face. He stared at one, then the other, gripping his swords tightly. The anger he was feeling was evident, and the malice in his eyes made the two griffons flinch.

“I’m going to ask you once and just once, Tory said in a voice filled with calmness that also showed every ounce of rage being kept in check. “Where… is… Luna?”

“Uhh… Uhh,” One of the creatures stammered.

“ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!!” The human shouted, aiming a blade at its face, just an inch away from slashing at the chimera’s beak.

“W-We don’t know!” the griffon answered, feeling his bowels release.

“YOU’RE LYING!!!” Tory raged, slicing a wing off the beast. It cried out in pain, but was quickly silenced by a round-house kick and a blade held at its throat. “Scream like that again, and I’ll kill you without a second thought.”

“…She’s… In the p-prince’s room,” the second griffon revealed. “He… said he wanted some ‘quality time’ with her.”

“…What?” Tory questioned, his voice dark and quiet. The second chimera proceeded to piss himself, thinking he preferred the shouting. “Did you say… that Luna is alone with a perverse, DISGUSTING griffon that you call a PRINCE?!”

The human dropped his blades, and they started to levitate with a silver aura. Tory’s entire body radiated a dark silver, and the two beasts feared that a few words too many had been shared. Clenching his fists, the teen felt energy surge through his body, felt stronger, faster, and invincible. He could smell the sharp scent of earth, his body felt like it was surrounded by glass, and his vision began to sharpen, almost as though he was seeing everything through a special lens. He looked at the two griffins, his sight gaining a silver-like color, and spoke in a voice that was his, but also that of a god’s, shaking the whole room as his voice echoed about.

“Where are they?” Tory asked. The two chimeras nearly fainted when he turned his gaze upon them. It was almost as though his piercing eyes could look directly into their souls, and rip out all of their secrets. “Tell me now…”

“I-In the eastern tower,” the second griffon answered, fearing greatly for his life. “Th-That’s all I k-know, I-GUH!”

The beast was cut off as a giant crystal erupted from the ground and pierced him, then it exploded, growing many smaller branches that stabbed the first griffon. As Tory watched, he saw the points of impact begin to grow around the chimeras, slowly encasing them. They saw the minerals crawl along their bodies, horror and fear etched into their faces.

“P-Please…” one of them stammered. “H-Have… mercy.”

Without a word, Tory walked away, leaving them to their fates, whatever they would be. He cared not, for his only goal was to reach the eastern tower as rapidly as he could. Luna was alone with a sexually active griffon, and that was all that the human could think of. It angered him to no end, just the thought of that… FREAK!… touching her… With a flare of his energy, Tory stormed down the halls, his blades following closely, still being held within their silver grip. There was no being silent now. If something stood in his way, then the boy was likely to slay it without hesitation.

“HEY!” came the eventual voice of a griffon. “INTRUD-GAH!”

As the chimera shouted out it’s warning, Tory charged it an performed another roundhouse kick to its face, and then as it touched the ground, crystals sprung up and began to encase it. The beast shrieked for help and mercy, but the human ignored the cries, and continued on. His anger at the thought of Luna and that creature sharing a bed was blinding his judgment and logic slowly. Had he been thinking clearly, the teen would’ve silence the beast immediately.

Since he did not though, the screeching of the griffon rang throughout the castle, attracting the attention of many guards that actually were in the building. Within but a minute of walking away, Tory found himself surrounded by the creatures that he now loathed with a passion. Each one held a strange expression that was a cross between curiosity, anger, and a little bit of fear.

“You all picked a terrible day to approach me…” Tory sighed, his eyes darting from one guard to the next. “GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!”

Without wasting a second, the human charged at one, and brought his blades down onto its wings, slicing them off. The beast cried out in pain, but was quickly grabbed by Tory’s free hands, and his head smashed into the hard tile floor. A few of the creatures attempted to attack him, but the floating blades dealt with two of them quickly, while a third was grabbed by the human, and with a punch, knocked into a wall. A fourth griffon attempted to claw him, but with a small sidestep and an uppercut, it was taken care of before it had a chance to actually react.

Now only two griffons remained, and they suddenly felt like their odds of winning dropped to nothing. Clenching his fists tighter, Tory’s hands started to glow silver, and the air around them started to harden. With a quick step, the human closed the gap between him and one of them. He grabbed the creature by it’s throat, and lifted it into the air, his augmented strength from his cutie mark and his sudden power boost making the feat easy. He clenched it’s throat tighter, squeezing the life from it. Tory’s anger was the only thing fueling him right now, and that was all he felt he needed.

“Y…You’re a monster!” The griffon in his grasp coughed.

“I’M A MONSTER?!!!” Tory shouted into the face of the beast. “I’M THE ONE THAT KIDNAPS PRINCESSESS, AND OFFERS THEM UP TO A SEXUALLY ACTIVE PRINCE?!!!”

His anger flaring up into insane levels, the human slammed the chimera into the ground, picked it back up, and hurled it at the other beast that could only watch in absolute fear, his comrade dealing with what could only be seen as a demon in an absolute rage. The two collided and crashed to the tiled floor, both in a daze, but they both knew that they were about to receive hell. Seething with anger, Tory directed a hand at the two beasts, and crystals began to harden around them, locking them in eternal fear and pain.

“ROT IN HELL!!!” the human raged at them, storming down the hall.

A few minutes later, Tory looked out a window and saw he was nearing his goal. He let himself a moment of rest, and as he took a seat on the window sill, he realized just what he’d done earlier. He… He basically killed those griffons! Without hesitation, or regret, the boy had taken the life of another! This realization impacted his mind, and nearly made him collapse on the ground. He’d NEVER claimed a life before in his entire existence, save for a deer one time, and now, he’s suddenly destroyed at least seven lives!

“Agh, no! GET AWAY!” came a familiar regal voice, now shrieking.

“Luna!” Tory shouted, snapped out of his trance by her somewhat fearful scream.

Pulling himself together, the human grabbed his swords and raced down the halls as quickly as he could, following the sound of his love’s voice. Each time she cried out or screamed, Tory found himself growing angrier, soon reaching a powerful boiling point. That revolting creature these griffons called a prince was trying to force himself of Luna! That thought sent the teen over the edge, and the silver aura flared up around him once more, except this time it radiated with an intense heat, almost like a silver fire. He didn’t feel anything from it though, only the rage and aggression that fueled it.

The shrieks of Luna became louder as Tory progressed, until they were almost deafening. Finally, he reached two large, detailed double doors. Now another voice, somewhat young and midway to gruff came out from the room, and the human assumed it was that bastard griffon prince.

“You’ll be mine soon Luna!” the voice gloated.

Tory’s anger shot up rapidly upon hearing this, his silver flame of an aura bursting upward and out, darkening quickly and slowly causing the ground around him to shake. The swords in his hands glowed with the same dark power, and slowly floated out of his grasp, now held by what could be called his magic. Free of the extra weight, the human clenched his fists, and charged at the doors, jumping into the air with a burst of magic. He performed a 360˚ spin, and slammed his right fist into the hard wood of one of them, leaving a deep crater in it, and causing a loud splintering, smashing sound to echo through the halls. Before gravity could claim him though, Tory used his other fist to uppercut the same crater he made.

The second impact against the door cause another loud and sharp sound to pierce the silence of the castle. This time though, it sounded like a quiet explosion, as the crater spread, and Tory’s fist burst through the door, leaving a small hole in the wood. He retracted his fist, and held onto the hole with a few fingers. He looked through, and saw Luna on a bed, her hooves splayed out and what could only be called a fat griffon overtop her. Both the griffon and the Princess were staring at the hole, seeing the one blue eye that pulsed with silver.

“What the-” the griffon started.

With a burst of energy, the floating swords were coated in a dark silver fire. The human jumped away and the swords slashed the hinges to pieces as the chimera prince spoke. Tory charged forward once more, leaning in with his right shoulder and body slamming the door. If flew off its hinges, and smacked into the fat beast, continuing forward and carrying new luggage as it smashed against the wall.

“LUNA!!” Tory cried, rushing to the bed and scooping up the dark alicorn into his arms. Tears ran down his face as he held her close, kissing her repeatedly, and caressing her mane slowly and lovingly. “I was so worried about you! I thought I had lost you, my precious love!”

“T-Tory…” Luna whispered, her voice barely audible from the complete shock of his arrival. Her emotions ran unchecked as she felt relieved at him showing up, scared that they’d never escape, and complete love for the one that had broken into the castle and came to rescue her. She tried to speak once more, tears running down her cheeks. “I… I love you so much…”

“Shh, please.” Tory stopped her, placing a finger over her mouth. “You shouldn’t talk. You’ll waste energy. Just relax, and let me hold you… Please.”

Luna was about to speak once more, but caught herself, and simply nodded. She hugged the human tightly, her hooves wrapped around his neck while she placed her head on his shoulder. Tory continued to stroke her mane, letting each finger flow through her soft hair and running along each strand. He sighed, happy to have her back, the tears proof of how he felt. Truly, he had been scared to death, afraid that he would’ve been caught, or that he’d be too late to save the Luna from the clutches of that horrid beast that wished to violate her.

As these emotions replaced everything in the human‘s head, the wooden door that had smashed into the griffon prince fell down from its place against the wall. The chimera under it collapsed as he came free from his indentation in the hard stone. He weakly climbed to his claws, never before having endured pain. He was a prince, not a fighter! He’d never even seen the troops his father owned train! The only thing that he could say was that he had practiced with a crossbow before, and while he was a good shot, that did not make him combat ready.

“How…. How d-dare you!” the creature gasped at Tory, anger showing on his face. “Y-You dare… steal my woman?”

This caught the human’s attention, and he stopped kissing Luna. He set her back down on the bed, much to her dismay, and turned towards the prince. His silver aura flared up, and started to radiate pure power off his body. His eyes changed from their sharp blue, to the pure silver that was his energy. They glared at the chimera, staring deep into his soul, so much power flowing out and all of it directed at the one that said he owned Luna.

The griffon prince flinched, absolute fear replacing the rage that had been there not even two seconds prior, yet he did not break the gaze of the human in front of him. It was not that he was challenging Tory, but that he found himself unable to look away. Those eyes, they stared into his heart, his soul, and his very core, dragging forth every ounce of fear, then pooling it within his being, and filling his entire body until it caused his legs to give away. The creature’s heart slowed, and it’s mind started to run blank. Each second he felt death approach him in leaps and bounds.

“I’m sorry, did you say… YOUR woman?” Tory asked, slowly walking towards the prince. He laughed a few times, and each one sent chills down the spine of the beast. “That’s the best joke I’ve ever heard, YOU… OWNING… my WIFE!!!”

With each of those last words, Tory’s blades approached. They crept forward slowly, save for when the human spoke. As he said the last word, they lunged forward, and angled themselves at the griffon’s throat. They pressed tightly to him, slowly drawing blood. This caused the creature to shriek in pain and fear, never having seen his own blood, or felt the cold steel of a sword against him. His face was locking in one of pure terror, unable to remain neutral at the thought that he might lose his life.

“I-I-I um…” the beast stammered.

“You… what?” Tory challenged, not letting up. His face was contorted into one of complete rage. “You’re sorry, or it was just a childish thought you spoke in the heat of the moment? You tried to violate my wife, stole her from her own castle, and now you claim that she is yours?! I should kill you where you now stand!”

“T-Tory…” Luna whispered once more, fear slipping into her voice. She’d never seen such anger in her life. Had he really cared for her so much, that he’d risk his life to save her, and now when the creature that attempted to steal away an important part of her tried to claim the dark alicorn, he entered a rage so violent, he was willing to kill? “P-Please…no.”

“I’ve endured many hells to say that Luna is my wife!” Tory continued, having not heard her. He got in the prince’s face, and leered at him. “I’ve had my soul broken into tiny fragments, shattered by those I once knew! I have nearly died so many times, and watched horror after horror, seeing the most cruel of demons attempt to kill the ones I love and actually succeed once! I’ve nearly had another close to me die from helping me revive her, had to watch as they left me in an attempt to make me happy which failed, and suffered at the hooves of Fate, the cruel mistress. I had been gifted with three loves for what I put forth, and Luna is one of them! You wish to make her yours, then show me that you can fight against the entire world, and stand up victorious! Show me that you’re willing to throw your life away for her as I have done and will do many more times!”

The griffon shat himself as he stared at Tory. The words spoken by this strange two-legged creature caused him to feel hollow inside. They sounded so strange and confused him. Just what was this thing talking about? Throw away his life, for a mere wench?! The thought sounded so ridiculous and extreme!

“… I thought not,” Tory finished, seeing an answer in the griffon prince’s eyes. He stood up and returned to Luna, breathing deeply to calm himself down. He picked her back up and started for the door. “Luna, I’m sorry for being so late. Please forgive me…”

“T-Tory, how…” Luna started again, unsure of what to say. “There… There is nothing to forgive. You’ve come for me… and that is all that matters.”

“My love,” the human smiled, kissing the dark alicorn. “I shall never let you be placed in danger ever again!”

“Y-You…” the chimera spoke up once more, regaining his ability to speak. “J-Just what ARE y-y-you?!”

Tory turned back to him, and smirked. He just got an idea, and an awesome one at that. This was the perfect chance to see if he could pull off something from his favorite anime. He looked up, and saw a skylight overhead, the moon shining brightly now. It cast a silver light down unto him, bathing the human in an strong glow.

“I’ve always wanted to do this…” Tory thought.

“Just who the HELL do you think I am?!” he grinned, shouting at the griffon prince. “Dig the wax outta your ears and listen up! Known all across Equestria and many worlds, they call out my name! They speak of the human with an indomitable spirit, that fights on for the ones he loves! The one who grasps a hold of his enemies with an iron grip, the one with the silver aura, that never gives up, that fights to his last breath, and sacrifices everything for the ones he loves! When you hear the name Tory, they’re talking about me! With these two fists, and all of my strength, I will give my life for what I believe in!”

Tory thrust his fist into the air above him, his index finger extended to the sky. His silver aura as well as the moonlight made him look like he was coated in silver armor. For once in his life, the human could say that he was actually cool. Luna certainly thought he was from where she was standing! She had to turn her head away so that her blush wouldn’t be seen by him. The chimera though, was completely speechless. What was the whole purpose of that little rant?! It didn’t even answer his question!

“Listen up and listen good!” Tory continued, his hand glowing silver as one of the blades floated back to him. He grabbed it from the air, and spun it in his grip, planting the flat end of the blade on his shoulder. “Me and Luna are walking out of this place, and there is nothing you can do about it. Should even a single guard approach us while we escape, this other sword here will take off your head, and kill you on the spot!”

To reinforce his threat, Tory had the blade press against the creature’s throat, forcing it back against the wall, where it stayed, whimpering quietly. With that, Tory turned back to Luna, and picked her up. He had to move quick, and escape the castle before the last of his energy escaped him. Without the power the human received from Two-Tail, he could not maintain even the simplest of spells for long. In fact, he estimated he had about ten minutes to get as far away as possible before the sword dropped to the ground, and the one behind it would send possibly the full force of the griffons down upon them.

Tory held tightly to the dark alicorn he loved so much, and dashed down the halls, his feet slamming against the tiled floor, causing the sound they made to echo through the castle, each step like a drum, announcing their presence. He turned left, then right, right once more, and finally fled straight. If his guess was correct, then the gardens would be just a few more halls and turns away. All he had to do was make it to the well, jump down and race through the underground tunnel, then make a break for Canterlot, and drop off Luna. If he could get a certain distance away from this castle before the spell wore off, then those creatures shouldn’t be able to catch them in time.

“T-Tory, where are we-” Luna started.

“No time to explain!” the human cut her off. “I just need you to trust me on this one!”

“…With all of my heart and soul.” she whispered into his ear, wrapping her hooves around his neck and hugging him. And still, the boy continued to run. “I trust you.”

“Hold on tight! Tory instructed, seeing the well and jumping down it.

Luna cried out as they plummeted towards the small river within the cavern. Tory shot his legs out to the side, and slammed them against the walls of the well, slowing them down. After a few moments though, the sides started to widen, meaning they were near the bottom. The human retracted his feet, and landed in the water with a loud splash. The dark alicorn in his arms shivered as the water came up and soaked through her coat and down to her skin.

“Sorry,” Tory apologized, setting her down on a large rock to the side that was out of the water. He started removing his shirt, and placed it around Luna’s body. It was moist in some spots, but it was warm and dry for the most part. “This should help you out some.”

“Th-Thanks,” Luna stammered, wrapping her hooves around the human again and pulling him in for a light kiss. When she breaks away, she looks at the tunnel and smiles. “So this is how you made it inside?”

“Yeah, but that was when they didn’t realize I was here,” Tory admitted, looking back up the well. “Odds are that they’re looking for us now. I mean I took down so many guards, and made way too much noise on the way back. They’ll be hunting for us in no time.”

“Tory…” the dark alicorn said quietly, looking at him sadly. He put so much at risk, coming to save her. “W-Why?”

“Hm?” he replied, looking back at her with a confused expression, unsure of what she was asking. “What do you mean?”

“Why would you risk your life to save me?” Luna questioned again. “Am I really worth it?”

“Of course you are!” Tory answered back quickly. He moved over and hugged his lover tightly. “To me, you’re worth more than all of this world and my own combined… I’d do anything and everything for you. Luna, I’ve never had a single doubt about the feelings I harbored for you, not a one.”

With tears in her eyes, the dark alicorn kissed the human, embracing him tightly. She felt truly happy at the moment, content on being with the one that spoke so passionately about how he loved her. She kept her hooves around his neck, and her lips pressed to his, wishing for the moment to never end. But like all good things, it had to. Just as Tory overcame the sudden kiss from Luna and started to return it, the sound of guards above ground caught their attention.

“Hey, you there, squire!” A deep voice called out from somewhere near the top of the well. “What is the status of that sword and the Prince?”

“I-I-It refuses to b-budge Sir!” returned a slightly higher pitched voice. “The Prince is raving mad, demanding that we bring the heads of Luna and that one creature with her.”

“Then find them and kill them!” the first voice instructed roughly.

“Quick, let’s go!” Tory said quietly to Luna, who merely nodded.

Picking up Luna, the human quietly made his way through the watery tunnel, trying to move quick and silently. A few times the water splashed up against the alicorn in his arms, and she would let out a quiet squeal from the sudden coldness, but besides that it was mostly a quiet trip through. Tory sent a silent thanks to whatever malevolent being deigned to bless him with such good luck. The two lovers reached the end of the tunnel and looked out over the surrounding area, wary of the griffons that might be flying about, trying to hunt them down. The sun was slowly creeping over the horizon at this point, the entire night spent moving through the massive castle.

“…I think we’re clear,” Tory finally said after a minute of checking the skies. “Let’s be quick and get back to Canterlot.”

“I think I’ll be good on my own now Tory,” Luna smiled at him, nuzzling his neck gently. “You can put me down now.”

“O-Oh um…” the human stammered, blushing lightly. He set down his companion, and looked off to the distance. “S-Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” the dark alicorn giggled, a playful gleam in her eyes once more. It was the same gleam that Tory had come to love almost immediately. “I didn’t mind being held by you, it’s just I think we’ll move faster if I was to move myself.”

“Um, right,” Tory agreed. “Let’s get moving before something happens…”

Once more the duo set off, sneaking out from their hiding spot in the ditch to begin their long trek back to the castle. As they started back, the human felt exhaustion tugging at him weakly. He was growing tired from keeping the spell holding that once sword in place, and if one was to look at him, it was starting to show. Luna happened to glance back, checking to see if guards were approaching, when she noticed the sweat dotting his forehead, and the tiny gasps he was releasing as he tried to keep pace with her. Slowing down just a bit, the dark alicorn lowered herself some, motioning for Tory to get on her back.

“Wh-What are you doing?” he panted, unsure if this was a good idea.

“I’m helping you out.” Luna smiled at him. “Now hurry and get on, before you pass out from exhaustion!”

Feeling that arguing would serve no purpose here, Tory shrugged and jumped up, moving onto his lover’s back. With a beat of her wings, the dark alicorn picked up speed, and took off into the sky. Now able to rest some, the human was able to conserve energy for maintaining the spell that bought them time to escape. At least, that was what he thought. In theory it sounded right, but in application it was way off.

Tory collapsed on Luna’s back, his magic so weak at this point that he was borderline unconscious. Each second brought his sight a shade dimmer, and his breath weaker. That he was even able to process a single thought was a feat for him at the time! The power used to fuel the magic holding that sword up was drained from his body while trudging through the underground tunnel. At that point, it started feeding off his life force, sucking away at Tory’s very essence. Each second he kept the spell active was literally killing him. Luna noticed this and spoke up.

“Tory, please, you’ve got to stop!” she begged. “You’ll die if you keep at this!”

“I guess… y-you don’t…. know me w-well enough,” the human weakly gasped, struggling to remain conscious. “I’d…. g-give my l-life… for you… and I’m going… to b-buy you time…”

“IF YOU DIE I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!” Luna screamed, letting her emotions flow freely.

“…L-Luna,” Tory whispered, unable to speak up over his exhaustion. He sighed and stopped the spell, letting his body relax fully. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, just please…” the dark alicorn sobbed quietly. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Oh man… That’s right, I’ve still got to die.” Tory thought to himself. “I wonder how she’ll take it… I mean she’ll be upset, and probably cry but… just how much do I really mean to her?”

Tory had a thought, and one he didn’t like. Just who was he, and what could his life be measured as? What was he worth, in the eyes of those he cared about? Just how much did he matter to Luna, the love he risked everything for? With a grunt, Tory decided to find an answer, and rolled off of Luna’s back, timing it with her wings. He plummeted towards the earth, the wind rushing past him as gravity dragged his body straight down.

“TORY!!!!” Luna screamed once more, nose-diving down after him. She flew as fast as her wings would let her, praying that she could grasp a hold of him.

The human closed his eyes, wondering if this would be his death, or would it wait. He spread his arms and legs out to the side, slowing his descent some. He couldn’t hear a thing, not with the wind that blasted away at his ears. So he did not hear Luna’s cry, or notice that she had chased after him. It wasn’t until he felt something against his chest that he opened his eyes and saw a hoof grabbing at him did he realize that the dark alicorn was trying to save his life. She slowly closed the rest of the distance, and grabbed a hold of Tory by taking her hooves and wrapping him in them. She pulled up, and just barely managed to avoid slamming into the ground with her passenger.

“Tory, what the hell?!” Luna shouted angrily. “What would possess you to… Wh-Why are you crying?”

The dark alicorn forgot all of her anger upon seeing the tears that clouded the human’s vision. Although, what she probably thought were tears of sadness were actually tears of joy. That Luna had gone to rescue him, nearly claiming her own life in the process made Tory happy, made him feel like he actually mattered to her. She had risked death to save the human, to make sure that he lived. It showed the love that she felt for him, and that had forced his emotions to the surface, making him tear up almost immediately.

“It’s… nothing,” Tory smiled, dismissing the question and weakly putting a hand on Luna’s cheek. “I… l-love you.”

“Please, don’t ever scare me like that again!” the dark alicorn started to sob. “I was afraid I’d lose you… Please Tory, promise me you won’t ever do that again!”

“I swear… I’ll never try to… k-kill myself,” the human smiled, wiping the tears away.

“…You jerk!” Luna weakly smiled, hugging Tory tightly. “How can you just act so ca-”

As she spoke, an arrow flew past them from behind, just grazing Tory’s cheek. They both looked back and saw a couple of griffons approaching them, a bow in each of their claws. Leading the small troop was what looked like the griffon prince, who held a crossbow. With a sneer, he landed just a couple yards away, his eyes dark and malicious. The human and alicorn had a bad feeling about what was most likely about to happen.

“You two have gone far enough,” the griffon growled in it’s somewhat gruff voice. He aimed the crossbow at Luna, and motioned to the ground. “You, wench! Put that…. THING, down.”

“You must be insane if you think that I’ll-” the dark alicorn started to protest.

“Luna, do it please…” Tory stopped her, his voice begging her to comply. “Place me on the ground, and run.”

“Oh yes, go ahead and run,” the prince laughed as she did what was asked of her. “I do love to hit moving targets!”

“Touch her and I’ll kill you!” the human threatened, turning a glare on the chimera.

“You seem to hardly be in a position to make threats, freak!” the creature scoffed, turning his crossbow to Tory.

The area was deathly silent, save for the quiet wind that blew around the duo, as well as the small griffon troops. Taking a few steps back, Luna glanced at Tory once more, who was slowly shifting to a kneeling position. They locked eyes for but a moment, the love between them showing within. Not a word needed to be said, the human’s expression telling her exactly what he wanted to happen, and what really would. The alicorn started to cry quietly, knowing what the outcome would be, and that trying to change it would only hurt even more. Luna turned away from the others, broke into a gallop, and took off into the sky, racing away from what she knew would be the last time she ever saw Tory.

“You know… it took guts to g-get out here,” Tory gasped, climbing to his feet weakly. He gripped the hilt of his sword, and readied himself. “And you got here q-quick too…”

“It wasn’t hard really,” the griffon sneered, his eyes following Luna as she flew away. “After that sword fell, I instructed my father’s troops to locate you immediately…”

I.I.I Flashback Seven Minutes Prior I.I.I

The griffon prince stood against the wall, the sword still pressed tightly to his neck. He didn’t want to risk his life by trying to move the blade, so he remained like this for a minute, praying that another servant or a guard would walk by his now broken door, and then save him from his predicament. Luckily, something along those lines did happen. He saw a slight movement to the side, and turned his head to see a guard walking into his chambers, observing how one door was completely missing from the frame.

“Hey, you there!” the prince called out. “Walk your pathetic flank over here and GET THIS SWORD AWAY FROM ME!!!”

The guard flinched from the shout, but nodded and came over to offer his assistance. He checked the blade, noting where he could touch it without harming himself or his liege. He placed one hoof on the hilt, and another on the other edge of the blade by the prince’s neck. He pulled gently on the blade and pushed on the hilt, trying to turn the sword away. It refused to even move an inch, much to the dismay of the guard.

“Move this sword or I’ll have you beheaded!” the young and spoiled one barked.

“HEY!” the officer shouted into the hall, calling out for his patrol mates that had been sent to investigate the disturbances. “I need a claw in here!”

Just as the extra four guards came in to see what they were required for, the sword lost its silver sheen, and fell to the floor with a loud clang. The new arrivals just stared at the first guard and their prince, who were looking at the sword. As he finally came to grips with it, the young one let himself down and breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to the five troops that were with him, and felt his anger return. The prince knew what he wanted to do, and now that he was no longer in any danger, he was free to act as he wished!

“You five, get your weapons and follow me!” the griffon leader ordered, moving across his room and retrieving his crossbow. “You’re going to help me kill a few pests off.”

With that, the prince walked out of his room, leaving five very confused guards behind. They glanced at each other, unsure of what had happened, and what they were about to get dragged into. Something told them that it wouldn’t be pretty though. No, all five of them had this strange feeling that something bad was going to happen, and they had been stupid enough to get themselves involved in it. Trying to act brave, one shrugged and went off to grab his equipment. The others followed suit, trying to not seem cowardly in front of their patrol mates. It looked like it was time for them to actually do some work…

I.I.I Flashback End I.I.I

“Oh, so you think that because it’s just two tired and weakened beings, that you are going to have an easy time against us?” Tory taunted unconfidently. He spoke a good game, and thanks to recent events in his time period he could actually back it up now, but at the moment he was drained to near nothing! “I’m disappointed in you! Surely your parents taught you to never underestimate your opponents?”

“By the looks of things, it’s just you now, freak.” the griffon prince countered with a sneer. “And if my eyes are working properly, you are exhausted beyond measure. You sent away your only chance at escaping, and the choice will cost you your life!”

“That’s what you think!” the human retorted, rushing forward and slamming the hilt of his sword into a guard’s head, rendering him unconscious. “I’ve still got some fight left in me!”

“Guards, kill him!” the leader ordered his troops, stepping back.

Tory saw them approach from the front and sides, each ready to claw away his face. With a tired sigh, he rolled forward, bringing his blade up to meet one creature’s exposed stomach. Although, it seemed the chimera had anticipated this, and launched himself into the sky, causing the human’s attack to barely even graze the outer feathers. Another of the beasts charged at him, swiping at his defenseless side and back. The strike went through, and it tore into Tory’s body easily, shredding the flesh around the claw.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Tory screamed in extreme agony, falling forward onto his other side.

Somehow mustering up the energy to continue, the human lashed out with a foot, bringing his attacker down to countering range, where it was met with an upward vertical slash. The griffon screeched for a second before the sword reached its lungs, tearing a deep hole in them and letting the blood fill in the new space. The creature tried to shriek, but all that came out was a gurgling noise as the blood started to well up in its throat. Tory squirmed back as he watched, his eyes darkening slowly as he fought not only for his life, but to try and buy Luna as much time as he could.

Two more griffons rushed at the human from his sides, their own eyes filled with what looked like intent to kill. He pushed his legs as hard as they’d move, and forced himself back even more, just barely avoiding another group of claws. The two chimeras collided and ended up weakly hurting each other with their sharpened nails. Getting to his feet once more, Tory jumped at them, bringing his sword over him, and slashing down at the two. He successfully managed to injure one of them, by clipping a wing, but the other escaped the attack by a few inches.

But Tory was not one to let his opponents dodge his strikes often, and when it happened, he made sure that they didn’t avoid the next one. Although his muscles were screaming in pain, and his lungs fought against him, the human rolled to the side, following his prey, and at the end of the somersault he slashed horizontally at the griffon, hacking away its front claws. The blade tore into the creature’s feathery hide like a hot knife through butter, cleanly severing the limbs in two, the bone almost nonexistent against the sword.

Not lightening his assault, Tory spun with the momentum of the slash, performed a 360˚ spin, and slashed diagonally at the chimera’s chest, cleaving an arm and going halfway through its chest, each organ slowing down the hunk of sharpened iron. Placing his free hand against the neck of his target, the human pulled back on the hilt of his blade while pushing against the hefty enemy. The blade came free with a sickening sound of blood sloshing about, and some of the crimson red liquid covering it.

“Now DIE!” Tory shouted, spinning the blade in his hand, grabbing a hold of the hilt with both, and performing a horizontal slash at the griffon’s neck, rendering the beast headless. His eyes growing darker, he turned towards the remaining forces, one unconscious, one injured and unable to fly, and two completely fine, both staring at him in shock from their place near the prince. “Who’s next?”

With a slight whimper, one of the guards that were still in good condition took out their bow, and nocked an arrow, aiming for Tory. He spread his wings and took off into the air, where he was safe from the sword that had slain one comrade, injured another, and taken a third out of commission. He launched his arrow at the human, who merely sidestepped, grabbed the shaft of the projectile, and observed it. After a few seconds of looking the arrow over, he placed the arrow between his pants and belt, holding it tight.

“I like how you think your slow attacks are going to kill me,” Tory taunted, his voice serious but with a hint of joy in it, almost as though he was having fun in this fight. “If you want to take me down, get serious about fighting.”

With that said, the human rushed forward, aiming his next attack at the injured griffon. Just because the creature could no longer fly did not make him any less dangerous with those claws or it’s bow. Best to take it down while the thing was still recovering from the trauma of being a flightless bird. Sidestepping to the left of the beast, Tory brought his blade straight up and shredded through the muscles, organs, and bones that made up the entire anatomy of the chimera’s chest cavity. With a screech, the monster fell to its side, gasping for a breath that would not come, as its lungs had been sliced into halves, and the blood from within was quickly filling it’s throat, like the first one had endured.

But Tory was not entirely cruel and merciless, even in his complete state of rage. He took pity upon the griffon, and took his sword in both hands. He brought it down into the creature’s heart, stabbing through everything and stealing the last of its life away. He pulled his sword free of the beast’s body, and flicked the blade to the side, the action causing all of the blood that had collected upon the metal to fly off and onto the grass. He looked back at the remaining griffons, just two lowly troops and a cowardly prince.

“You know, I can’t see how Two-Tail was killed by the likes of you,” Tory thought aloud, walking towards his opponents, whose numbers were slowly dwindling to nothing. “Me and him have sparred, and he easily had enough power to kill off each of you. Here I stand, already on my last legs, and still the six of you cannot beat me… Perhaps I should say three now, as two of you are dead, and one is incapacitated. How is it that I could beat you?”

“You monster!” the prince shouted, his voice heavy with fear. “G-Guards, attack and kill him!”

With an unconfident glance at their leader, and then at each other, the two griffon troops decided to rush him together. One remained in the air with his bow drawn, another arrow ready for launching, while the other charged forward, attempting to claw the human to pieces. The ground attacker jumped and attempted to perform a cross slash with his claws, but Tory saw an opening and rolled forward, going under the beast. But just as he came up, the aerial griffon released its shot, and the arrow pierced his foot.

“AGH!!!!” Tory shouted, going to his knees. He looked up at the archer, his eyes furious. “You’re death is going to be slow and PAINFUL!!!”

Taking the arrow from his foot, Tory readied himself for a massive jump. But before he could even think of leaving the ground, he heard the cry of the other griffon that he avoided. It was now trying to get a back attack on him! Feeling exhaustion grip at him once more, the adrenaline in his body slowly wearing out, the human weakly sidestepped the creature, who landed where he had been not even a half second prior. Taking the arrow, Tory flipped it upside down in his hand, grabbed the griffon with the other, and stabbed the beast right between the eyes with the piece of metal.

The chimera’s eyes focused on the wooden shaft of the projectile, but he didn’t react. He couldn’t, since the arrow had been driven right into his brain. But Tory was still not finished, as he took his empty hand, and performed an uppercut on the creature, sending it up and back a few inches, leaving its chest completely exposed. The human quickly moved in front of it, bringing his sword back. He spun it once, twice, three times in his hand, and thrust forward, piercing right through the griffon’s ribcage, and cleaving its heart in two.

The beast did not even have the time to scream in pain, or even feel it for that matter, as the onslaught had been so sudden and quick, that it was dead before it even could register that it was going to die. Tory removed his blade and frowned. Perhaps this was a bit overkill? Surely not, after what they had done already, and were planning to do! These were the monsters that had kidnapped Luna, and gave her to that prince to use as some kind of… sexual plaything! Then when he came to her rescue, that one supposed leader had the audacity to call Luna his woman right in front of her husband, and instructed his guards to kill them both when they attempted to escape! This was not overkill, not for them…

“You there, griffon in the air!” Tory called out to the archer. “I have no quarrel with you, being that you are simply under orders to attack me, no? Should you wish to keep your life, I’d suggest fleeing now. My fight is with this piece of garbage!”

As he finished the last word, the human lazily pointed at the prince, almost like he didn’t care really. Truthfully, he didn’t give a rat’s ass anymore. These troops were about as dangerous as hedgehogs, only an issue if you get in their way or they were defending their territory. These were supposedly “Experienced Fighters”, so why were they such an easy challenge? That he was half dead, and still he managed to take down four guards with ease, causing the fifth and last to retreat back to the castle.

“You’ve… You’ve dispatched my entire squad, and made a fool of me!” the griffon prince stated angrily with a hint of fear in his voice, him stepping back once confirming that. “I should-”

“What?” Tory cut him off, taking his blade and aiming the point at the leader. “What could you, a single prince that is weaker than his troops do? I’ve dispatched five of your soldiers, coming out with only a single wound!”

As if in response, the giant claw marks from the one griffon acted up, and pain flared through the human’s body. He collapsed on one knee, and panted heavily. All of his adrenaline had been used up, and now if he wanted to do anything, he would risk his body falling apart, or something inside him failing to act or maintain his bodily functions, like breathing and pumping blood throughout his body. If he was on his last legs before, then now Tory could saw he was finished. He gripped his sword tightly, the blade digging into the ground so that he could use it as support to keep from fully collapsing.

“It looks like that ‘single wound’ has finally taken its toll,” the beast prince gloated with a giant sneer. “You’re finished, freak.”

The chimera walked over slowly, and raised its crossbow to Tory’s head, the arrow merely two inches away from his face. He stared at the tip, which was aimed for right between his eyes. Time seemed to slow down as the griffon pulled the specially made trigger for claws. Each second turned into minutes, and yet it all seemed to progress at a normal rate. The human could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears with every half second. It was deafening for him.

Just as the arrow was about to pierce his skull though, Tory’s silver aura flared up. The ground in front of him split apart, and a thin wall of green crystal erupted from within, quickly knocking the crossbow up, and causing the projectile to fly over his head harmlessly. The crossbow flew from the beast’s claw, and clattered to the ground harmlessly away from its owner. The prince stumbled backwards, looking from the human to the crystal wall.

“Wh-What did you just do?!” the monster asked him, incredulous. “Where did that adamantine come from?”

“Adamantine?” Tory questioned, looking at the wall before him. He placed his free hand against the smooth surface, feeling the cold hard mineral that had saved his life. “You mean like… the h-hardest mineral ever known to exist? The impenetrable material that is… so rare to find?”

Where HAD this crystal come from? It appeared right as he needed it most, saving his life from a death that would still come. But what was the cause of it? Tory thought back to what had happened. He recalled a flash of silver, and suddenly the wall of adamantine burst from the earth itself… Could… Could the crystal have responded to his power? But that was another thing! If he recalled, the human had a deep green aura, the same as Two-Tail’s, since the alicorn had been reborn into his body. So why had it been silver just then, as well as back in the castle?

These questions threatened to consume Tory’s thoughts, and they would have if not for the sudden movement that he caught from his right side. He turned to see the griffon prince there, its face contorted into one of anger. The beast raised a claw, poised to deal what the human believed was a deathblow. Without anytime to act, it seemed like he would die for real this time. Yet a single thought ran through his head: use the sword.

Taking a risky precaution, Tory used the last of his strength to pull the sword out of the ground and use it in a weak slash to the chimera leader’s chest. The human swung his blade diagonally, cutting part of the creature’s arm off, but there was not enough force to go all the way through. The most he could manage was to dig his blade into its body, and redirect the initial claw swipe off to the side, where it missed him completely.

But now without something to support him, Tory collapsed onto the ground, his entire body screaming bloody murder in the process. He was losing way to much blood to withstand living more than a few minutes at most. Each second made his vision grow dimmer, and his breath come in more shallow amounts. If he had been left alone, the human would die soon enough, but of course, such a thing could not happen, not to Tory.

“Why… won’t… you… DIE?!!” the griffon prince raged, panting himself and unable to fully move with a blade in one of his arms. “No matter what… I throw at you… It just doesn’t seem… to do the job…”

Tory couldn’t respond, his mind starting to go blank, and the rest of his thoughts focused on trying to stay alive and buy Luna time. He had to make sure that he did his job of keeping her safe with his very life, just like a paladin… Actually, he liked the sound of that! Tory, the Paladin! Truly, that title could be his for what he has put forth. From the moment he stepped into Equestria, Tory had been thrown into deadly choice after deadly choice. He had to pick between Discord and the ponies he called friends… he had to choose if he wanted to risk his life fighting Discord, if he wanted to save Luna… These were just the ones that stuck out at the moment, but the teen knew there were more within his short time he had spent in this world.

“I’ll… I’ll kill you now,” the chimera leader laughed, a somewhat hysterical and crazy smile on his face. Evidently, he was starting to crack under the pressure. “There’s no way you can stop me from killing you! This blade of yours is mine now, you cannot even talk, let alone move, and I can see the light leaving your eyes! Oh yes, if I left you here, then that frail, weakling body of yours would give out in mere minutes by the look of things… But no, I want the pleasure of doing this myself!”

Climbing to his claws, the prince looked at the blade still embedded in his arm. He grasped the hilt in his other claw, and yanked it out, screaming as intense pain burned in his body. That he managed to do something like that, being as frail as he was, having never seen battle until now… That was a feat for him! He successfully ignored the pain, and placed a firm grip on the sword. The beast limped over to Tory, and raised his new weapon to the sky, prepared to strike down his enemy.

“You stole my wench from me, threatened my life, and held me to a wall with a blade so much like this one!” the creature shrieked loudly, his anger and hysteria as evident as his bleeding arm. “You killed off my guards, let that pathetic pony flee from me, and most dire of all, you succeeded in hurting me! NOW YOU DIE!!!!”

Just as the griffon prince swung the sword down for the final strike, a deep blue blur came in from across him. The object slammed into his chest, knocking him back quickly. The beast fell to the ground a good ways back, sliding just a little as he touched down. He stared at the sky as he came to a complete stop and noticed something flying through the air. It was the blade he held just moments ago! It had been sent into the sky upon the impact from before, and now it was…

“GAHHHHH!!!!!!” the prince cried out, his voice filled with such a pain that one could not help but feel sorry for him. “MY CLAW!!!!!!”

The sword had fallen down upon the creature, and had cleaved his entire front claw off his arm. He writhed about, the pain so intense that he was amazed he didn’t pass out from it. Was this… Was this the pain that freak and his guards had felt earlier? He had been about to deal such a level of pain unto another? These thoughts raced through the beast’s head as he held his stump of an arm within his remaining claw. The pain was unbearable, but still, there was nothing he could do about it at the time.

“TORY!!!” came the familiar and regal voice of Luna. “TORY NO!!!”

The blue blur from before had been the dark alicorn, using her body as a means to take down the griffon prince. Now she was at the side of the human she loved, the one that had come to break her free of the castle where something most precious was almost taken from her. Getting down on her knees, Luna cried upon seeing the extensive damage done to Tory. He was barely breathing, and under him was a massive pool of blood, a testament to the hardships he had faced when she was not present. His eyes were growing dark and blank as he weakly turned his head to look at her.

“Wh-Why…” Tory asked her, his question coming out so quietly, it was almost inaudible. “L-L-Luna…. Why did you…”

“Please, don’t talk!” the dark alicorn cried, placing her head against his, so that they were the only thing the other saw. “J-Just try to stay alive! I’ll heal you, I swear!”

“If only…” Tory whispered, the light in his eyes barely there. “I’ve got…. Maybe a few minutes…”

“Then I’ll use those few minutes to heal you!” Luna sobbed, unable to hold it back. Her horn glowed a deep blue, and so did the human she was so focused on. “I’m not going to lose you Tory!”

“You… You caused my claw to come off!” the chimera leader raged, getting up and glaring at Luna. “I’ll kill you wench!”

Seeing an immediate threat to Tory, the dark alicorn stood up and returned the violent gaze with one of her own. The intensity within Luna’s green eyes was so powerful, so dark and full of malice that the prince couldn’t do anything. All thoughts of anger, revenge, and killing the human she loved vanished within a mere second of the two beings making eye contact. The griffon took a step back, then another one, followed by more quickly, each a heavy limp since he was missing a claw. The prince turned and spread his wings, quickly fleeing the scene. He knew when it was time to back off. If he stayed, especially in his condition, he would die.

“Tory, he’s gone!” Luna turned back to her lover. She quickly covered him with her magic, and focused on his wounds patching up. “We’ll save you yet!”

“Luna… stop.” Tory whispered, actually starting to recover. “I… I have to-”

“You have to shut up and let me heal you!” the dark alicorn cut him off, not taking no for an answer. “Please Tory…”

The human simply sighed and let her continue. He wasn’t one to go against the wishes of his lover. If she wanted him to live, then he might as well. Yes he was going to die, but maybe that would be later? Tory could enjoy the time spent with Luna until that point then! He and Luna had spent the least amount of time together out of all of his loves really, so it was only right that he devote as much of his time to her so that he could make up for it.

“O-Okay Luna… I think that’s good,” Tory finally said, feeling considerably better than before. He stood up on shaky legs, but he did not buckle. “I’m… I’m feeling better now.”

“Oh my, I’m so glad!” Luna cried, glomping Tory quickly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

“…”

“Tory?” the dark alicorn looked at him with a worried expression. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just… I…” Tory stammered, unsure how to say it. He was going to die, that was a fact. If he remembered from the statue in the Cloister, it would happen on the return trip, and he would die by an arrow. “I’m… I have to… GET DOWN!!!”

Tory quickly forgot what he was going to say, and focused instead on something from the edge of his vision. The one griffon troop from earlier had stood up. It was the one the human had not killed, but merely knocked out! In its claw was the crossbow that the adamantine wall had knocked away. The beast stood up shakily, and brought up the weapon, taking aim at Luna’s back. It was evident what was about to happen.

Instinctively, Tory pushed her to the side and out of harm’s way. At that very moment, the griffon launched the arrow, which shot forward with blinding speed, catching him right in the center of his chest. The projectile pushed in, shredding a large hole right through his heart and lungs. The full impact of the shot carried the human off his feet, and sent him to the ground once more, except this time with a direct hit to his vitals.

“TORY!!!!!” Luna shrieked, seeing him take the hit for her. She turned to see the griffon fleeing the scene, quickly escaping back to the castle. Ignoring that, she rushed to the side of her lover, and ripped the arrow out. “I-I-It’s going to b-be fine! I healed you o-once, I can d-do it again!”

“N-Not this… time,” Tory gasped, coughing up blood. He looked into Luna’s eyes, some tears forming as the light started to leave him once more. “I’m… finished.”

“NO!” the dark alicorn sobbed, her own eyes begging him to not give up. “You can’t die!”

“This was… going t-to happen,” the human continued, placing a hand on Luna’s cheek. “I was supposed to die….for you.”

“No… Please no!”

Luna forced her magic to surface, and poured every last bit of it into Tory’s body, praying with all of her heart and soul that he would live. Yet try as she would, the arrow had done too much to his already damaged body. His heart was losing blood from all four chambers within it, pumping it into the other hole that led to his lungs. His breath was slowly being taken from him as the crimson red liquid ran in his throat.

There was no way to stop what had already been done to Tory, and the dark alicorn knew that. But still, she cried, begging for him to recover, like he had done before. If it worked once, it would again, right… RIGHT?! Surely if she could save him from death, she could do so once more! Then why was he still dying?! Luna looked into his eyes, and watched the light leave him slowly. Each second turned into minutes, and then to hours as his blue eyes grew blank and soulless.

“Is… Is this death?” Tory thought, all feeling escaping his body. The only thing that remained was a numbing coldness… one that scared him. “I’m… I’m truly dying this time… It feels so… empty.”

Tory couldn’t do much anymore, let alone see, hear, or feel Luna trying to revive him. Yet still he knew she was there, and that eased his burden. He had the dark alicorn beside him, and that was his once solace in death. With the last of his strength, the human blindly brushed his hand along her mane, stroking each and every strand. And as he reached the back of her head though, the last bit of energy left him, and his hand fell to the ground, right beside her hoof.

“….No.” Luna whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her mind refused to accept the fact that was right in front of her. “No… No. NO! Tory you… You can’t die!!!”

The dark alicorn leaned down, and kissed the human, nothing else in her head but the thought that maybe if he felt her love, then he’d come back to her. Yet still Tory remained motionless, his eyes blank and staring at her with no emotion whatsoever. His lips were cold and lifeless, the final sign that he was gone from this world. Luna held the kiss though, tears running down her face and dropping off, only to roll down the cheeks of the one she loved, making it look like Tory was crying as well.

“There is… no way you’re dead!” Luna sobbed onto the chest of the one she loved, unable to look into those soulless eyes any more. She just couldn’t accept this, that he was dead. Raising her head to the sky, she wailed to the very heavens themselves. “TORY!!!! PLEASE NO!!!!!!”

Luna remained in that spot for an hour, unable to move, to think, or to care about anything. All she could do was mourn at the loss of her lover, the only one to ever truly care about her enough to sacrifice everything so she could escape her captors. There was nothing left for her now, not her sister, nor the kind citizens of her kingdom could ever begin to null, weaken, or even come close to helping take away the pain that was in her heart.

Luna looked at Tory once more, and finally moved a hoof to close his eyes. That empty look they gave her was unbearable. To think that they originally shined with a light, a love so strong that the owner would be willing to die for her, that was almost inconceivable now. They were so blank, so dark and tear-jerking that the dark alicorn knew she’d break down again if she saw them once more. It was just horrifying, the mere thought of Tory being dead.

“…This wasn’t supposed to happen, you jerk,” Luna whispered, taking his dead hand in her hoof. “You said it was supposed to, but I know for a fact that you and I were meant to live, to be together… It’s all THEIR fault!”

The dark alicorn turned to the castle in the far distance, the griffon castle. Just looking at it sent her anger to a boiling point. THEY had been the ones to take her! THEY were the ones that hurt Tory! THEY WERE THE ONES TO KILL HIM!!! These were the only thoughts that flashed through her head now. Luna could see nothing but that castle. Her sight started to go red as anger, complete rage, and a desire to kill replaced everything else in her mind and soul.

Luna glowed a near black with a hint of blue within. Her body was coated in this dark aura as her magic spawned a new form. The dark alicorn’s actual coat color became a pure black, and her mane turned to a ghostly shade of blue, with the night sky portrayed within. A light blue helmet appeared over her head, as did a chest piece and large greaves for her legs. Her wings took on a bat like shape, but remained feathers, and her horn grew a few inches.

No longer was she Luna, princess of Equestria. Now, she was Nightmare Moon, the evil alicorn out to claim her revenge against the world that would bring such an injustice as death upon the one she loved. And her first goal was to claim the life of the one that ended Tory’s. With hate and malice guiding her every thought, Nightmare Moon began her slow trek to the griffon castle, wondering how to extract the most pain from her victims…

I.I.I Memory Recollection 2 complete: Returning to current time period I.I.I

“W-Wow… that’s quite a story Fantasia,” Twilight said quietly, her eyes on the white unicorn.

After making it to the hospital, Raven, Twilight, Fantasia, and Ditzy started to talk in the gray-ish mare’s room, where she was slowly recovering from her injuries that she received earlier. From what the doctor said, Derpy had an injured wing, a mild concussion, and would have to be placed under medical care for a few days at most. When he heard all of this, the auburn pegasus that she called her coltfriend wanted to storm out of the hospital and beat the living tar out of Trixie. The only thing that held him back were Ditzy’s pleas for him to stay with her.

Fantasia had just finished explaining her story to the rest of the group, and was now looking at each of them. Twilight had a curious but neutral expression on her face, one that hid how she truly felt over this. Raven and Ditzy were looking at the white unicorn with the same emotion on their faces… compassion, as well as a desire to help her. All three of them seemed to truly care about Fantasia, which she thought was amazing… Just days ago, she had no friends, and only her mentor. Now, she had more friends than she could count! Her life had changed so considerably!

“I can’t believe that Trixie!” Raven raged quietly at his place beside Ditzy, punching his hooves together. “When I see her, I’m going to-”

“U-Um Raven…” the gray-ish pegasus whispered to him, her eyes clouded with worry. “Please don’t…”

“I want Trixie to pay but…” Fantasia started. “But I don’t want her to get hurt so badly… There is still some good in her, I know it! Maybe we can-”

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy Fantasia,” Twilight stopped her, shaking her head slowly. “Trixie has hurt so many ponies, and if what Tory told me once before is true, not many will take kindly to her trying to be nice. After what she has done, forgiveness will be difficult to gain.”

The white unicorn lowered her head, somewhat sad now. Yes, Trixie had done many bad things, but so had many others, and they had been forgiven. Why should the blue unicorn be any different? Princess Luna was a good example of the forgiveness shown. Nightmare Moon had been ready to rule the world with an iron hoof, and twice she almost succeeded. Yet even after her defeat, Princess Luna had been accepted back by Equestria with delighted hooves and many cheers. Couldn’t Fantasia’s sister be the same?!

The white unicorn had been about to speak again, ready to suggest something, when a loud commotion occurred in the hall outside. There was the sound of two doors crashing against the wall, a group of ponies shouting at each other, one issuing orders to the rest of them, and what each of the ponies in the room believed to be a stretcher being wheeled past their room. Poking her head out the door, Fantasia looked down the hall after them. She saw a large trail of blood leading down the corridor, followed by what looked like… oh no…

“What is it?” Twilight asked, curious but staying back.

“You… You don’t want to know,” Fantasia stammered, closing the door quickly.

Twilight was about to ask why she was acting weird when a knock came at the door. Hesitantly, the white unicorn opened it to see Luna standing there, tears running down her face, and she was panting heavily. Quickly, Fantasia threw the door open and led her teacher to a chair, the rest of the room watching. She had a feeling what was going on, and it started to make her tear up as well. It had to do with that being on the stretcher, and the trail of blood no doubt…

“P-Princess Luna!” Twilight gasped, bowing quickly. “How did you find us?”

“Please d-don’t bow Twilight S-Sparkle,” Luna sobbed, stopping the purple unicorn. “I saw F-Fantasia’s head from the d-door just a few seconds ago.”

“What’s going on?” Raven boldly ventured, speaking plainly to the Princess.

“W-Well it started w-with this m-morning,” the dark alicorn explained in between her gasps for air. “Tory didn’t wake up… a-and soon we n-noticed weird things h-happening… This silver aura around him…. Cuts and bruises along his body… and he was o-oddly exhausted despite the fact th-that he had done n-nothing besides sleep.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Ditzy commented, looking at the Princess.

“But the w-worst part came just ten m-minutes ago,” Luna continued as though she had not hear the pegasus. “Tory started bleeding really b-badly… He had these giant c-claw marks in his b-back… That was wh-when we called for medical treatment.”

“LUNA!!!!!” came Rainbow’s voice. Everypony turned to face her, and she had the same expression on her face as the dark alicorn. The look in her eyes though was more clouded, empty, and if one knew her, they could say she looked defeated. “It’s Tory…. He’s…..He’s dead…"

Recovery

“Recovery”

"Damn it, I let him get too close," a dark green alicorn swore as he stood there, staring at a human boy. "If I had been just a few seconds late, he'd be dead... I'm sorry Tory, my recklessness almost cost you your life."

The alicorn sighed and lowered his head. His spiky mane flowed out behind him, as did his two tails. The armor around his chest, wings, and upper hooves held a faint golden sheen around them, giving the wearer a golden glow almost. The alicorn's blue eyes looked at the human before him, floating within a large cylindrical machine, a high-tech dashboard at the base of the machine which held many screens that showed all these sets of numbers. Though he knew all that his host did, had every piece of knowledge the human possessed, he could make neither heads nor tails of the data on the monitor.

The said human stayed where he was, simply floating there with his eyes closed, his body glowing a gentle silver as the gashes and wounds that decorated him slowly healed. His light brown hair lifted upward with the clear watery liquid that enclosed his form. It seeped into his wounds as well, reinforcing the healing process.

"Rest now... Recover quickly, so that you can wake to the faces of your loves." the alicorn whispered, placing a hoof against the glass cylinder. "Hold fast to your life Tory. Every second you sleep is another that let's evil creep from it's dark, fleeting shadows..."

I.I.I

"Hurry up and get those nurses!" roared a unicorn doctor. "He needs medical treatment right away, and we're low on magic!"

The building came alight with the calls of doctors, nurses, and many random ponies, each trying to help the human, or wanting to put their talents to use in his recovery. Luna ignored them all, her mind bare of all thoughts save for that of her lover. Her face was hidden by her mane, which draped over her eyes and shielded the tears from onlookers. How could this have happened? What brought about such a horrifying event, not even two days after she had married the teen?

These thoughts flashed through her mind with each second. She recalled how the previous morning Tory had not woken. At the time she and the others had thought he was merely exhausted from so much happening in so short a time. But as the day progressed, Luna became aware of little scratches about her Love's body. She noted his panting and started to worry, wondering just what was going on at the time. She saw him blush, saw his head start to bleed, and saw how he seemed to weaken slowly. She called for a nurse, to help care for him but nothing seemed to help.

Then after a time, Luna saw his aura, the deep green she was so familiar with. It changed before her eyes, shifted and altered itself, until the color was nothing like before. Tory's aura became a clear, light gray shade of power that radiated off his body in surging waves of energy. But it wasn't so much gray as it was... silver. Her lover's aura had taken an original appearance! But the color itself amazed her.

Silver was a pure color, much like gold or other precious gems and minerals. Luna herself was one of few to possess such an aura, the least perfect shade within existence. Her's was a special blend of amethyst and onyx, the rarest and weakest aura. Her sister was blessed with a gold aura, which allowed her powers to flourish.

The thing about pure auras is that each one comes with a special power, a hidden talent if you will. Luna's gave her control over the moon, Celestia's gave her dominance over the sun. The dark alicorn wondered about the powers that would be gifted to her husband. The abilities always were unexpected, and often incredible.

But shortly after Tory's aura flared up, it began to weaken, to slowly start consuming him. It was as though he held them active and was purposely letting his life be drained in place of his empty magic reservoirs. Luna hugged him tightly to her, whispering, begging him to wake up, to be okay and to smile for her. Yet not once did Tory stir, or move a muscle. Then the worst part happened...

As she clutched his body tightly with her hooves, Luna felt something wet, hot, and sticky run down his body. She feared what it was, and was hesitant to look down. She did, and cried out loudly. The next couple minutes had been hazy after that. She recalled galloping down the halls, screaming for medical attention, somepony carrying Tory away, seeing someone at the hospital... But two things stuck out the most, the faces of Fluttershy and Rainbow, as well as the trail of blood that followed the human down the hall.

Luna started to cry again, just thinking about the whole thing upset her incredibly much. She had seen the signs, and done nothing about them. Now Tory could very well die because of her hesitance. Wiping away the tears with a shaky hoof, Luna followed the doctors down the hall, her eyes glued to the mess of brown hair that she could see on the stretcher.

The unicorn doctors wheeled the human into a small room, where his body was carefully deposited onto a bed. Luna entered the room, followed by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The two pegasi were still shedding tears themselves, but when they entered the room they huddled around the dark alicorn.

Indeed this was a sad and horrifying event, but they had to stay together now more than ever. Tory had united them under the same family, had forged a bond so incredibly strong them, that they could never break apart, could never feel nothing but love and trust between each other. They were all the wives of the same human, and they were friends at that. The bond between the two pegasi and alicorn were impossibly deep, and so intense that they could almost feel the pain of the others.

"It's... It's all my fault," Luna whispered, watching the doctors cast their magic at the teen. "Tory could die because of me..."

"It isn't you're fault Luna." Fluttershy soothed, nuzzling the alicorn. "Please don't blame yourself."

"Yeah! I mean, Tory's gone through worse before!" Rainbow reassured. "If he won't let Fluttershy stay dead, he wouldn't die and leave us alone... r-right?"

Fluttershy's only response was a short nod. She looked over at her husband on the bed and suppressed her desire to run over and beg him to just wake up, to scream for him to come back. She couldn't let herself be distracted from Luna. The Princess was the most torn up out of all three wives. She had already suffered the loss of her first love, and now almost immediately after being wedded to another she could very well lose her second.

"Hey, I've got a pulse!!" called out one of the doctors. "Quick! Get a nurse that has magic left!!"

Luna, Rainbow, and Fluttershy turned and kept their eyes glued to the scene before them. They watched with fresh tears in their eyes, they watched the unicorn nurses and doctors use all of their medical expertise to keep Tory alive. Save for the sound of grunting that came from the weary unicorns, not a sound could be heard. It was as though all of Equestria held their breath, waiting to hear of the result.

Nopony wanted to speak, because they knew it would come down to the one question they were afraid to ask still... Would Tory live to see another day? After what felt like days, or perhaps minutes, a lone unicorn walked over to the girls, his breath coming in shallow amounts as he held an emotionless expression upon he face.

"Y-You girls.... Are.... L-Lucky," the doctor gasped out, his legs collapsing under him. "He's... Going to l-live..."

The girls looked from him to each other, not a single word spoken. Tears pooled in their eyes, but they wouldn't fall. The unicorn doctor smiled, and limped out of the room. Fluttershy looked at Luna, whose face was one of complete relief and happiness. Rainbow saw this as well and the two pegasi embraced the dark alicorn on a tight hug. Tory was going to live!! After everything that he'd gone through already, the human boy that Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Luna fell in love with would keep his life after all!

"TORY!!" came a familiar voice from the doorway. The girls turned to see Ditzy, Raven, Fantasia, and Twilight coming from the hallway.

The gray-ish pegasus galloped into the room, and she would have tackled Tory had it not been for Twilight using her magic to hold the mare back. The others entered more slowly and calmly, with Raven grabbing Ditzy and holding her back as she tried to run over to the human. Luna looked between the newcomers and frowned.

"What is the meaning of all this?!" she demanded of them, her emotions summoning the Canterlot Voice automatically. She turned to Ditzy and glared. "You, whoever you are... Why are you trying to harm my husband?"

Upon falling prey to direct contact with the Canterlot Voice, the pegasus with a blonde mane cringed, and fell silent, no longer resisting her coltfriend's grasp. She shook a little, some from the memory of last Nightmare Night, some from the fresh dose that blasted her at point blank. Luna continued to glare at Ditzy, her expression serious and demanding an answer.

"I would n-never harm him!" the gray-ish pegasus replied, her voice breaking in fear. "T-Tory is... My friend. I-I was worried and w-when I saw him like that..."

"Yeah, I can vouch for her Luna," Rainbow spoke up, walking over to the now downcast pegasus. "I know Ditzy, and she was just concerned for Tory. He was kinda her first friend."

"...I see," Luna nodded as she spoke with her normal voice, accepting that answer, but her tone gave away the slight mistrust that everypony picked up on. "Ditzy was it? I... Apologize for assuming wrong."

"Um, I-it's alright," the gray-ish mare smiled weakly, stepping closer to Raven. The auburn colt smiled at her, and wrapped a wing around her lovingly, sending a cautious look to Luna that said he would protect his marefriend against even her.

"Um, pardon me for interrupting this little moment," Twilight cut in, motioning to the unconscious boy that still clung to life. "But could somepony please tell me just what happened here?"

"Well..." Luna started, looking away and hanging her head.

"He was mentally stricken down and now his body has entered a coma to recuperate," came another voice from the hall.

Everypony turned to see a deep gray pegasus walking in, a somewhat nervous expression on his face. His mane was black as night, save for the single large blue stripe that ran along it's length. His tail was the same, except instead of a single stripe there were two. His brown eyes darted from pony to pony, stopping for a few seconds on Rainbow Dash, where the softened and relaxed some. But as his gaze shifted over to Fluttershy, he tensed up, and looked away quickly.

"And you are?" inquired Raven, stepping in front of the stranger and blocking his entry.

"U-Um, my name is..." the deep gray pegasus trailed off, looking at him, but when his eyes shifted to over the lieutenant's shoulder, he quickly turned away, his gaze aimed at the floor.

Fluttershy watched the pegasus before her, something in the back of her mind trying to surface. There was something about this pony that seemed familiar, that she KNEW was important! But each time she tried to recall this pony, it slipped her grasp. Fluttershy knew this pony from somewhere, that deep down he held some sort of importance, but she couldn't put her hoof on it!

"What's your deal?" Rainbow asked him, raising an eyebrow. "You're...kinda weirding me out."

"I'm sorry Rainbow, i-it's just been so long..." the deep gray pegasus apologized, avoiding her gaze.

The cyan pegasus blinked, then did a double take as she realized what he just said. There was silence within the room as everypony looked between the newcomer and Rainbow. The deep gray pegasus kept looking about the room, his eyes darting from pony to pony. But each time he looked at the magenta eyes that held a confused expression, or the shockingly blue eyes of Fluttershy that seemed lost in thought, he would avert his gaze to the floor. This action wasn't lost on anypony, but none of them were quite sure how to approach the question that they all wanted to ask. Finally, Rainbow stepped forward and spoke everypony's thoughts aloud.

"H-How do you know me?" she asked the stranger. "And what do you mean by 'it's been so long'?"

Finally the deep gray pegasus looked at her, his face one of sadness. Rainbow suddenly wished she hadn't asked, but she wasn't sure why. Like Fluttershy, something in her mind knew about this pony, but the answer wouldn't surface. He held her gaze, and spoke quietly, his voice shaking a little.

"You... You mean you don't... R-remember me?" the strange pony questioned. "You don't remember that one day with Dumbbell? It... It was the when we became friends... It was the day I left..."

The deep gray pegasus hanged his head, and Rainbow thought as hard as she could about just who he was. She thought as far back as she could, all the way back to Flight Camp. She recalled every encounter with her old bully and his cronies, and one memory stared to force it's way to the surface. It was blurry and kind of vague, almost like it was trying to be forgotten.

Then as she glanced once more at the strange pony, the memory shaped itself almost instantly, becoming clear, concise and detailed. The memory occupied her entire mind until she had almost relived the whole event within the few seconds that it had surged forward. Tears pooled in her eyes as she glanced at the deep gray pegasus. She stepped forward once, almost hesitant, but then she jumped quickly, and tackle hugged him to the floor, surprising everypony including the target of her glomp.

"SHADOW!!!" Rainbow shouted, a giant smile spread across her face and a happy gleam in her eyes. "I can't believe it! You came back, after all these years!!"

"Eheheheh," the pegasus named Shadow laughed, giving off the first smile since he showed himself to the group. "You remember!!"

"Of course I remember you," the cyan pegasus grinned, stepping away and pulling him to his hooves.
"How could I forget you, one of my first friends?!"

"U-Um..." Fluttershy stammered, grabbing everypony's attention.

"Please tell me you haven't forgotten me..." Shadow asked, losing his smile instantly. "Not you Fluttershy..."

The golden pegasus lowered her head, and turned away, causing the new pony to tear up. Fluttershy wished she could remember, because he seemed to have some sort of emotional impact on her. But try as she might, it was as though all traces of him were locked away and out of her reach.

"It's me, S-Shadow Breeze..." the deep gray pegasus continued, his voice somewhat pleading now. "We were friends back in Flight Camp, remember? Dumbbell always called me 'Shadow Freeze'?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, I... I don't remember," Fluttershy stammered, her old ways poking through as she tried to recall anything she could about him.

"Fluttershy, you seriously don't remember Shadow?" Rainbow asked her incredulously. "He was our only friend back then!"

The golden pegasus teared up, the pressure a little to much for her to handle right now. How was she supposed to deal with this when her husband was in a coma with near fatal wounds at the moment? With a slight sob, Fluttershy galloped past everypony and out of the room. Luna tried to follow, but a hoof from Rainbow stopped her. The look in the cyan pegasus' eyes said 'It would be best if we gave her some time alone.' But the dark Alicorn dismissed her, and continued to go after the pony that held Tory's love first. Shadow sighed and sat down on the floor.

"I'm sorry everypony, this is all my fault," he said, his voice full of sadness.

"No it's not Shadow," Rainbow encouraged, hugging him. "It's just been a while, so maybe she just needs a little more time to remember."

"... How... How did she react to me leaving?" he asked after a few seconds.

Rainbow looked at him sadly for a second, her eyes flashing with unhappy memories as she thought back to what he was saying. Wiping away a few tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks, the rainbow-haired pegasus looked away and spoke so quietly that it was almost inaudible to the others in the room.

"B-Both me and Fluttershy took it really hard when you moved away," Rainbow admitted, her voice almost breaking. "I... I started hanging out with... Less than acceptable ponies to clear away the memories. I dropped out of Flight Camp, got a job in Ponyville... Fluttershy... She kinda fell apart... Worse than you remember her being. She stop talking to everypony, stopped coming to class. She turned into a shut-in, and moved away from Cloudsdale."

"But... Why did she go that far?" Shadow pressed.

"She may not remember exactly, but I uh..." Rainbow trailed off, looking over to Tory.

"What is it?" the deep gray pegasus asked, his eyes showing pain.

"It's... It's not really my place to say but..." Rainbow tried again. She took a deep breath and continued. "I think you were... I think Fluttershy liked you more than as a friend."

Everypony save for Shadow gasped as they listened. The new pony just looked at Rainbow for a few seconds, trying to piece together what she was saying. His eyes held this strange stare that showed he was lost in thought. The cyan pegasus was about to speak up when she saw Shadow blushing, turning he deep gray face an unusual shade of dark red.

"Y-You mean to tell me that..." He trailed off. "That Fluttershy..."

"Tory wasn't her first love?" Twilight interjected. "It was this pony?"

"I'm just guessing really," Rainbow shrugged, looking towards the door as of Fluttershy would come in and answer the question herself.

"I think it's a good guess," Shadow responded, still blushing. "If she was upset enough about me leaving, then she could subconsciously seal away all traces of me."

"You mean that her mind isolated and locked away every single memory she had of you?" Twilight put in once more.

"Evidently," the deep gray pegasus nodded. "But I didn't expect to find out that she-"

"Alright, enough of this!" ordered Raven, cutting into the conversation. "This all well and good, but that is not something we should be discussing around the unconscious body of not only Fluttershy's lover, but also her husband."

At this, Shadow gasped loudly, attracting the stares of everypony. His eyes looked so defeated as he stood there, and it seemed that us breathing quickened. As tears started to roll down his cheeks, the deep gray pegasus hung his head and his mane draped over his face. There were quiet, almost inaudible sobs coming from his body which shook violently.

"S-S-She's.... She's m-married?" Shadow sobbed, his tears now dropping to the floor. "I... I finally find her a-after all these years, and she n-not only f-found another lover, b-but she got married t-to him?"

"... Yes," came the quiet voice of Fantasia, who walked over to the pegasus and gently placed a hoof around him. "As of the day before, she along with Rainbow and Princess Luna married this human that you see before us."

Fantasia extended a hoof towards the human in the bed, and Shadow finally looked up at him. He made not a sound as he stared at Tory's motionless form. After another few moments of silence in the room, he finally got up and walked over to the bed. As the deep gray pegasus approached him, a silver glow flared up about the human. Shadow himself became enveloped in a black shroud, one that tugged him closer to Tory.

"So this is the one that Fluttershy married..." Shadow whispered to himself. "Heh... Lucky guy."

I.I.I

Fluttershy galloped down the halls of the hospital, not sure where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away from them, from that strange pegasus, from Rainbow Dash too. Tears burned in her eyes as she ran, clouding her vision and leaving a sorrowful trail along the floor as they rolled down her cheeks and onto the ground.

Why? Why couldn't she remember Shadow?! He seemed to remember her, and Rainbow remembered as well! So why was she unable to?! What was it about that pegasus that stung at her heart so?! It... It couldn't be love could it? Surely she would remember if she had felt anything towards him.

Fluttershy stopped this train of thought and cleared the tears from her eyes. She looked at the hospital walls that surrounded her, that seemed to almost choke her. She needed fresh air, before she started to lose it! Finding the stairs immediately, the golden pegasus trotted up them quickly and quietly. When she finally made it to the top and flung open the door into the outside world, she rushed out and took the largest breath possible.

It seemed during the interval of everything, nighttime had fallen. The cold, crisp air from the rooftop filled her lungs quickly, and she exhaled slowly as her nerves started to relax. Looking out over the ledge, Fluttershy took in the view of the town at night. Streetlights powered by magic orbs cast a silver-blue sheen on the cobblestone streets, while the orange lights from candles and such illuminated the windows of the houses. Few ponies walked the streets, and all of them wore thick clothing to prevent the chill air from penetrating their coats.

Turning her head to the sky, Fluttershy studied the stars and moon. She identified Cygnas, Cancer, and Orion easily, but as she looked around for Aries, she frowned. It seemed some of the constellations were missing tonight. She turned around and tried to find the North Star, and was greeted with a new constellation.

Fluttershy gasped as she saw the cutie mark of her husband, with the North Star as the tip of the heart that was surrounded by a large shield. Within it were three symbols, a butterfly, a lightning bolt, and a cresent moon, all glowing brighty. Tears flooded Fluttershy's eyes as she looked up at the beautiful constellation.

"Do you like it?" came the regal voice of Luna from the door inside. She stepped out and came over, draping a wing around her new sister-in-law. "I made it when I raised the moon a few minutes ago. I thought that if I could show a sign of our love for Tory, perhaps he would feel it's power and he would wake up sooner..."

"That... That sounds like our Tory, doesn't it?" Fluttershy smiled, keeping her gaze locked on the beautiful symbol of love.

The two kept their heads raised to the new constellation, neither of them saying a word. They didn't have to say anything really. Both of them just wished to bask in the moonlight, thinking of the good times with their husband. But still it could not last, and Luna broke the silence with a question that Fluttershy was hoping to avoid.

"Fluttershy, I'm sorry to ask this but..." the dark alicorn started. "Do... Do you remember Shadow, even a little?"

The golden pegasus looked at her, eyes filled with a few tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but found the words that she wanted to say would not come. They held tight to her throat like a vice, starting to suffocate her from the inside out. She looked up at the moon and let a few tears fall. Not even a single memory of that deep gray pegasus would come forth. It hurt Fluttershy, knowing that somewhere deep inside her she had some sort of memory with Shadow.

"Not a thing," Fluttershy answered, shaking her head.

"But you know that there is something inside, right?" Luna pressed.

"...Yes," was all the golden pegasus responded with an unhappy sigh.

Luna wanted to say that things would be fine, that Tory would respect and love her no matter what. But she couldn't bear to put her voice to the words. Even if she said them, it would still bring the kind golden pegasus to tears. The only thing that could help right now was their husband, and sadly he was unavailable.

"So this is where you two went," came the voice of Rainbow. Luna and Fluttershy turned to see the cyan pegasus walking towards them with a slight smile.

"Rainbow..." the golden pegasus trailed off, looking away.

"Look Fluttershy, you don't have to remember it," Rainbow started, raising a hoof to signal for silence. "I'm just going to tell you what happened. Does that sound good?"

Instead of speaking, the golden pegasus simply nodded and tried to relax. She had the feeling that this story was going to take some time. Luna looked between the two of them and closed her eyes. While they were family, this wasn't really her business. They might not even want her to be there for it. Getting up, the dark alicorn made for the door. But before she even took a step, a pair of hooves wrapped around her back legs. Looking down she saw Fluttershy holding tight to her.

"P-Please stay..." she begged. "I'd... Feel better if I knew both of you were here."

"Yeah Luna," Rainbow nodded in agreement, giving a slight smile. "We're all family, so you should hear this. No secrets..."

"...Very well," the dark alicorn accepted, sitting down and returning her wing to cover Fluttershy in warmth and love as a sister. "I shall listen to this story that you wish to speak. Please begin."

"Alright," the cyan pegasus said, sitting down herself and taking a glance at the stars. Her eyes stared into the distance as she began. "Well it happened about seven years ago, back in Flight Camp..."

I.I.I Flashback - Seven years prior I.I.I

Two young pegasi fillies trotted down the halls of a building made entirely of cloud, one bearing a confident grin while the other followed close behind, a worried look on her face. As they reached a corner, the leader of the stopped them and peeked around, checking for movement. When she saw they were clear, she continued on, using a wing to silently signal her partner to follow.

The first one sported a rainbow mane and tail, her magenta eyes looking about the halls they navigated. Her cyan coat glistened with slight perspiration from earlier exercise, and her body shook with excitement. This was Rainbow Dash as a filly, at a time before she grew distant and cared little for loyalty. This was the filly that everypony loved.

Trailing behind her of course, was filly Fluttershy, whose blue eyes were glued to the floor as the two walked, timidness and fear showing in her innocent eyes. Her pink mane hid half of her face as she went, with her tail dragging along the fluffy floor. Her golden body trembled, further showing how scared she was at the moment. It was the same filly that had never touched the ground and learned of her true calling.

"R-R-Rainbow D-Dash?" Fluttershy stammered nervously, her voice a noticeable pitch higher. "S-Shouldn't we b-be getting to class?"

"We will Fluttershy," the cyan filly assured her friend. "We're just going to talk to Coach about Dumbbell, remember? Coach Fleetfoot will help us, give us passes, and we'll be back in class before you know it. Trust me on this."

"O-Okay..." the golden pegasus filly agreed reluctantly.

The two rounded a corner anne were promptly greeted by colliding into somepony. Rainbow and the stranger fell to the ground while Fluttershy managed to avoid that by flinching back. She squeaked and hid behind the corner, peeking out to make sure her friend was okay. The cyan filly got to her hooves and groaned.

"O-Owwie..." Rainbow said quietly, shaking her mane and pushing a few loose strands out of her face.

"Uhn..." the other pony moaned. "What just hit me?"

Both Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at the other pony. He was a young colt that stood about a few inches taller than the cyan pegasus did. His coat was a light gray, like his mane which had a light blue stripe running through it, and like tail which had two stripes of the same color. His hazel eyes looked back at them, then quickly darted to the floor. If one looked closely at his face, they would see a very faint blush on his cheeks.

"Oh uh... Sorry," the new pegasus apologized. "It seems I was lost in thought and not paying a-attention to where I was going."

"Heh no prob," Rainbow returned, forgiving him with a slight smile. "Just watch your step next time I guess. C'mon Fluttershy, let's keep going to Coach Fleetfoot's office."

"Coach Fleetfoot?" the colt echoed, watching them as they passed. "You're looking for her as well?"

"Um y-yes," Fluttershy answered, shying back when the stranger's eyes turned to her. "We have t-to talk w-with her about-"

"About something important and PRIVATE," Rainbow Dash cut her off, nudging the shy pegasus. "It's just a problem we're having."

"You too huh?" the light gray pegasus sighed and hung his head. "Yeah I was hoping she could help me with my own troubles. Dumbbell is making my life miserable..."

"He's... Bullying you as well?" the cyan filly inquired. She adopted a kind smile when he nodded. "Okay then, maybe you can help us. Me and Fluttershy were going to talk to her about Dumbbell too."

"What?!" the little colt asked, incredulous. "He's mean to you both as well?"

"Y-Yes," Fluttershy spoke up again, keeping her gaze fixed to the floor. "He c-calls us n-names a-and is so mean..."

"To him, we're 'Clutzershy' and 'Rainbow Crash'," the cyan filly finished, giving a sigh. "There's no respect at all, even though he knows I'm much better flyer.... I'm Rainbow Dash, and this is-"

"Fluttershy," the strange colt said, finishing the introduction. He then blushed when he saw both the fillies staring at him. "E-Everypony in Flight Camp knows about you two... Anyways, uh, I'm S-Shadow Freeze - I mean Breeze! My name is Shadow Breeze. Dumbbell calls me 'Shadow Freeze' because I uh, got stage fright once."

"That's so mean..." Fluttershy whispered, stepping over to Shadow. She gave him a light hug, to which the colt turned a darker shade of red.

"Yeah seriously," Rainbow agreed. "Well since we're all going to see Coach, by not go together?"

"Alright," Shadow agreed, smiling at the two fillies.

The small group of three walked down the halls quickly, and after a few more minutes of wandering, they came upon a large door that held the words 'Coach Fleetfoot'. Rainbow stepped forward and looked back at the other two, putting on a weak smile. Truthfully, she hated to go to anypony about her troubles, but it was either this or take the matter into her own hooves. That would only bring her more trouble... At least that is what Fluttershy said.

Shadow stepped forward and placed a hoof on her shoulder reassuringly, almost like he could feel her hesitance about the whole thing. He gave her a smile as well, one filled with confidence. His eyes held a determined look within them as Rainbow stared back. She gave a curt nod and turned back, raising a hoof to knock on the door. But just a second before she actually completed the motion, the most annoying sound to ever reach her ears came forth.

"Well well well, if it isn't Rainbow Crash!" came a cocky and obnoxious voice from down the hall. The group turned to see a familiar and unpleasant face they all knew. "Oh Shadow Freeze and Clutzershy too? This day just gets better and better."

Everypony turned to see a young colt approaching with a smug look on his face. His coat was a light brown, while his mane and tail were a light gray, with his military green eyes staring at the group from the bottom of his hair. They shined with an unpleasant gleam, one that made Fluttershy shudder. The brown colt swaggered over like he was in charge of everything and everypony, his confident smirk upsetting Rainbow immensely each time she saw it.

"What do you want Dumbbell?" she asked, spreading her wings and taking an active stance should a fight break out.

"Oh hush up Rainbow Crash!" the bully ordered, feinting quickly causing the cyan filly to flinch. "Ha, you're such a little baby!"

"Look, we don't want trouble..." Shadow Breeze spoke up, stepping forward.

"Well you get trouble of you don't be quiet!" Dumbbell snapped, making the light gray pegasus cringe as well. "Hmph! You're so weak Shadow Freeze!"

"Why are you so mean to us?!" Rainbow Dash countered, finding some of her nerve and getting in the bully's face. "We never did anything to you!"

"Get outta my face!" Dumbbell raged, shoving her back.

Rainbow fell backwards onto Fluttershy, and they both went to the floor. They landed on the cloud padding with a heavy 'Thud!' But as they hit the floor they cried out, and the golden filly started to cry. Shadow gasped and stepped in front of the two, guarding them from the colt that tormented all three of them. He shook a little as he spoke out, but his voice was surprisingly steady.

"Leave them alone!" Shadow barked, a very faint black glow appearing on his body. It was almost invisible against his dark coat. "Stop being such a bully and go away!"

"Oh yeah?! And who is gonna make me?!" Dumbbell countered, glaring at the first pony to ever challenge him.

"I will," Shadow answered, snorting once and dragging a hoof against the floor, saying he was ready to fight if need be.

Dumbbell's only response was a battle cry as he lunged at the light gray pegasus. Shadow leapt into the air, dodging the initial attack, and then he swooped down and lashed out with a right hook, catching the bully on the side of the head. The brown colt was send into a wall where he stopped moving and slumped down. But a moment later Dumbbell opened his eyes, which had this malicious look to them.

Getting to his hooves quickly, the bully snarled and rushed forward once more. Shadow sidestepped what he thought would be another tackle attempt, but as he moved to the side, Dumbbell turned around, angled his rear hooves, and slammed them into the light gray colt's face. The young pegasus careened backwards and slammed into a door, shattering the glass from the small window above it. As he climbed to his hooves, the faint aura around him glowed a stronger shade, and the area started to smell of earth. Shadow's eyes changed from a deep hazel to a faded gold, and he growled deeply.

"Oh, looks like somepony is angry!" Dumbbell taunted.

"P-Please... Stop fighting," came the soft voice of Fluttershy.

The kind filly walked in between Dumbbell and Shadow Breeze, looking from one to the other with tears in her eyes. The light gray pegasus gave a slight sigh and calmed down. The aura, scent, and glow in his eyes all vanished near instantly. But for the bully, simply listening to Fluttershy was not an option. He walked over to her with the same glare upon his face, to which she cringed backwards. The brown colt raised a hoof, and swung it quickly, smacking the golden filly incredibly hard. She screamed and fell to the floor where she didn't move.

"FLUTTERSHY!!!" screamed both Rainbow and Shadow.

The cyan pegasus rushed over to her friend, but the light gray colt simply stood there, his expression one of complete disbelief. The he grit his teeth, snorted once, and glared his most intense one yet, turning back to Dumbbell. His eyes glowed the slight gold from before, but this time his aura lit up to a massive black fire that coated his body. The dark flames held this strange power that pulsed in sync with his heart.

"How...How dare you!" Shadow roared, stepping forward. In response, the bully backed away. "How dare you hurt Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy and Rainbow stared at the light gray colt from the other side of the hall where the cyan filly had brought her friend. What was happening right now?! Their new friend was simply standing within a giant black fire that cast dark shadows on the walls, and he seemed like he didn't even notice it! He stepped toward Dumbbell, who stepped back once more, fear evident on his face.

"Nopony hurts my friends, ever!" Shadow continued, the flames lowering and coming together near his hooves. "I won't let you touch them ever again!!"

The dark flames changed into thick tendrils of pure black, and pushed Dumbbell backwards. They shifted about, and took up spots that blocked the bully from Shadow and the girls. Rainbow stared at them with an expression that was a cross between fear and excitement. Fluttershy's face was one of pure fear though. The light gray colt noticed this and suddenly the tendrils fell to the ground and shifted along the cloud floor until they merged with his shadow.

"You... You're a freak!!" Dumbbell cried, turning around and fleeing from the group.

"What... What just happened?" Shadow whispered, not sure what to think of his event.

"SHADOW!!" Rainbow shouted, and tackle-hugged the colt. "How long have you been able to do that?!"

"D-Do what?" he asked, kinda stunned from being thrown to the cloud floor.

"T-T-The s-shadow... Thing," Fluttershy answered, coming over slowly and keeping a slight distance from him.

"That was amazing!" the cyan pegasus continued, but Shadow wasn't paying attention to her.

Fluttershy was acting more scared of him than before. Had that thing he did... That shadow thing... Did that make her more afraid of him? The light gray colt didn't like that. He didn't want the golden filly to hate him for something he didn't know he could do until just now! That would hurt his heart more than he would care to admit...

What neither Fluttershy nor Rainbow knew was that Shadow Breeze had a crush on the golden filly. He'd been watching her grow during their time at the school, and he honestly liked her... A lot! He'd seen how she had always been so timid, so afraid of everypony, and reluctant to talk to even the teachers. He thought it was adorable, but he found that it made his own chances of befriending her even smaller.

It didn't help that he himself shared some of her timidness, hence the reason he had never taken the chance to approach her before. The only reason he had managed to procure the courage to speak today was because they had quite literally bumped into each other. He didn't have a choice that time, and because of it he had been given the chance to be their friend. Now that chance was slipping away, all because of those... Things.

"Um... Shadow?" Rainbow asked, waving a hoof in front of his face and snapping him out of his musings. "Hello, Equestria to Shadow!"

"O-Oh, sorry," he apologized, suppressing a sigh.

"What's wrong Shadow?" the cyan filly pressed. "You scared away Dumbbell. He'll probably leave us alone now!"

"Well... You're not scared?" the light gray colt questioned, looking from her to Fluttershy. "You're not afraid of... Whatever I did?"

"Hay no!" Rainbow answered before he even finished the question. "I thought it was cooler than anything I've ever seen!"

But Shadow still wasn't convinced. He looked over at Fluttershy, who flinched under his gentle gaze. That was when Rainbow understood why he was asking such a question. She started to put two and two together, slowly connecting the dots in her mind. The blushing, his constant glances to the golden filly, and why he stood up for her so easily when they had just met... Shadow liked Fluttershy!

"U-Um..." the shy pegasus stammered. "I... Well... I-It was..."

Before Fluttershy could finish a sentence, and most likely upset their new friend, Rainbow placed a hoof over her mouth and stopped her. She gave the other filly a look that said, "Please don't say what you were about to." The cyan filly then stole a glance at Shadow to see that his head was hung low and he was looking away. It was evident he had pieced together what Fluttershy had been trying to say.

"Listen Fluttershy," Rainbow whispered into her ear. "He might seem scary because of those whatevers... But Shadow is a nice pony. You know he is, just like I do. He stood up for us, and now he's afraid we'll reject him for that... Think about this... What of he just wants to be friends, and this just happened?... Are you really going to hurt his feelings and let him go like this?"

"W-Well... I..." she stammered again, a very slight blush visible on her cheeks.

There was no way... Rainbow might've been hallucinating because there was... There was no way that Fluttershy had developed feelings for somepony she just met! Especially since they'd only met about ten minutes ago! Even if Shadow had stood up for them, this was still Fluttershy, the shy filly that was scared of her own shadow! How could she have fallen for the light gray colt so fast?!

"Um..." Fluttershy began, breaking Rainbow out of her thoughts. Evidently the shy filly had walked over to their new friend. "Um Shadow? I... Th-Thank you for um... Protecting u-us..."

"U-Uhh..." he stammered, a deep blush on his face. A second later his expression became a large smile. "Y-Yeah sure! I'm happy to... To help you F-Fluttershy!"

In response, they both turned a deeper shade of red. Rainbow couldn't help but giggle at how innocent the two of them were. They DID look kinda cute together, the cyan filly couldn't deny that. She gave a slight sigh and shook her head with a smile. Something told her that these two would be so close if given the chance. Perhaps that was what Fluttershy needed most, somepony to be with... Somepony to make her happy instead of protect her like Rainbow had been doing for so long...

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!!" came an older, much more familiar voice.

Turning around, the group saw a light, faded blue mare. Her mane and tail were a stark white, save for the ice blue stripe that ran down them. Her green eyes glared at the light gray colt with an intensity that could make a manticore flinch. She extended her wings to their full length, making her seem much larger before the young group. This was Fleetfoot, the head coach at Flight Camp, and from the glare she was directing at Shadow, she was not happy...

"Well? Are you going to explain yourself?" Coach Fleetfoot pressed with a sharp edge in her voice. "Tell me why you attacked not one, but three students!"

"A-ATTACK?!" the young colt asked, unable to hide the confusion in his incredulous voice. "I didn't attack anypony coach! We were the ones attacked!"

"Then why is a student running down the halls with what looks like fear and some hurt on his face?!" the older mare countered sharply. "And why is it that these two fillies were afraid to look you in the eye?!"

"Hey!" Rainbow broke in, stepping between the coach and her friend. "Shadow protected us! Dumbbell has been harassing all three of us forever and when we came to you he attacked us!"

"Ha! Sweet little Dumbbell?" Fleetfoot glared at her. "My son has been nothing but perfect! His grades are top marks, his classmates say he is always kind, and if he was harassing Shadow here, then why is he running away?! What I see is a filly with a big bruise across her face, a frightened colt, and one perpetrator that can do some freaky thing to hurt ponies!"

Wondering what she was meaning, Rainbow stole a glance at Fluttershy to see that a large bruise had indeed taken form right where Dumbbell had struck her. Evidently, Coach Fleetfoot had witnessed the end of the 'fight' and only see her son retreat... What? Her son?! Oh no... Rainbow could tell there was no way to win this one.

If Dumbbell was the head Coach's son, and his grades really were great, then it would take the entire student body to convince her. Odds of that were slim considering that the brute threatened to hurt anypony that ratted on him. Everypony knew that he stuck to his threats at least... It was the only honest quality about him.

"He was protecting us!" Rainbow protested, trying to defend her friend. "That bruise came from your son! And what Shadow did was stand up to the bully that hurt her!"

"I'll not listen to you attempt to incriminate my son simply because he is a better flier than you Rainbow Dash!" Fleetfoot returned angrily.

"This isn't about who is a better flier!" the cyan filly snapped back, getting in the coach's face. "I would gladly give up all of my flying talent to help my friends when they are being accused of something they didn't do by somepony that didn't even see the whole fight!!"

"Hmph!" the older mare huffed. "Rainbow Dash, you are speaking out of term. If you do not cease this pointless debate, I will have you expelled along with this delinquent!"

"D-Delinquent?!" Shadow shouted, incredulous.

"EXPELLED?!" Fluttershy cried.

"That's right," Coach Fleetfoot nodded, her glare returning to the young colt. "I'll see to it personally that you are removed from the premises and banished from our fair school like the ruffian that you are!"

"But... But he was h-helping me..." the shy filly said quietly, trying to defend her new friend. "Shadow... Shadow Breeze is n-nice..."

"I will not hear anything else from you three," the older blue pegasus replied sternly. "If you keep this up I will make sure that all three of you are expelled."

"But-" Rainbow started, being cutoff by the light gray colt she called a friend placing a hoof in front of her.

"Just... Let it go Rainbow," Shadow sighed, his expression sad and his voice low. He sounded like he had given in already. "Don't defend me anymore... It's not worth the trouble."

"...Shadow..." the cyan filly whispered, her eyes starting to tear up.

"Please don't leave!" Fluttershy cried, hugging him. "I... I don't want to lose my friend!"

"I-I'm so sorry Fluttershy," the light gray colt whispered, returning the hug with a light blush. "But h-hey, at least Dumbbell will l-leave you alone now, right?"

"Do you really have to go?" Rainbow asked, joining the hug. "We can't see you after school or anything?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Fleetfoot answered. "After my Wonderbolt tryout, I intend to speak with all of your parents and I will let them know that this delinquent is to not be near any of you after today. Best not let something like this happen again after all..."

With that said, the shy filly couldn't take anymore. Fluttershy burst into tears and galloped down the halls away from her friends and the teacher. Shadow made a motion to go after her, but Fleetfoot blocked the way with a wing. Rainbow growled and looked like she was about to tackle the head coach, but the light gray colt stopped her with a hoof. He shook his head and sighed.

"Per... Perhaps it's best that we part ways like this..." he whispered, shedding a few tears himself. "If I saw her again I'd... I don't think I'd be able to move on..."

"SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GIVE UP?!" Rainbow snapped at him, her eyes stinging with the salty tears that threatened to fall. "THEN... THEN JUST GO!!! I DON'T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!"

With that, the cyan filly turned and fled from her new friend as well. She didn't know where she would go, she just wanted to be alone, to cry openly, to scream at this injustice! Why?! Why was it that whenever she or Fluttershy made a friend, something had to happen to take them away?! That was just cruel! Not to mention that Fluttershy evidently felt something for Shadow too! Taking away somepony's first love... There was nothing more heartless than that!

Rainbow Dash ran, and ran, and ran. She kept going, just trying to get away from everypony she could. Her heart ached so much, and nothing could heal the deep gash. The cyan filly took flight once more, and flew away to someplace secluded where she could be herself. Not once did she dare look back, or else she would risk hugging Shadow so tightly she'd never let go of him. With that, Rainbow flew far away. To where, she had no idea...

I.I.I Flashback End - Returning to Current Time Period I.I.I

"And that was the last I ever saw of him... Until today," Rainbow finished, wiping away a few tears.

Fluttershy and Luna hugged the cyan pegasus tightly, their sisterly bonds strengthen even more from the shared tears evoked by such a sad story. The dark alicorn may not have been involved in any way, but she could still feel the pain that Rainbow felt. And Fluttershy... Even if she couldn't remember, her emotions were still there, and they were the strongest yet. They... They felt almost as powerful as when she learned of Tory's death...

"I... I r-remember..." the golden pegasus whispered. "I remember Shadow so clearly now..."

"You do?!" Rainbow asked, a slight smile upon her face.

"Y-Yes..." Fluttershy nodded. "But... It doesn't change anything... My heart belongs to Tory, and nopony else!"

"Then he's a lucky one," came a voice from the doorway to the hospital.

Everypony turned to see Shadow, Twilight, and Fantasia stepping onto the rooftop. Fluttershy gasped quietly and hid behind Luna, who gave her a soft smile and wrapped a wing around her. The deep gray pegasus came over to them, his eyes slightly reddened, and his expression a forced smile. Rainbow could tell just from this that her old friend had been crying. Looking back, she also saw Fluttershy's expression, one of reluctance. The golden mare was afraid to talk with him, afraid that her old feelings for Shadow would surface and ruin the love she felt for Tory.

"Beautiful night tonight, Princess Luna," Shadow said, breaking the silence and bowing before the dark alicorn.

"Yes, I felt that the skies and stars should shine their brightest," Luna nodded. "So that my husband... So that Rainbow Dash's and Fluttershy's husband would hopefully feel their presence and our love for him... So that he would come back to us."

"That is... Beautiful," he smiled, a genuine one this time, followed by a few tears. "He is a lucky one, to have all three of you..."

From the way he spoke, and from his expression, Luna could tell how much pain he was feeling at the moment. It hurt him to finally be reunited with his old friend and crush, but to also learn that they had married. His heart could almost be heard shattering to tiny fragments. Was there any way she could possibly help him? Surely there was something that could be done for him...

"We are the lucky ones," Rainbow smiled softly. "He has done everything for us. Tory has given up everything to be here, to keep us happy. The love he shows to us is..."

"It is wonderful," Fluttershy finished. "He was willing to sacrifice his life so I could come back from death..."

"And even then, he wouldn't give up the love me and him shared as well," the cyan pegasus nodded, picking up from there. "When I went to bring her back alone, Tory came after me. He protected me, cared for me, nearly died for me... Even after we brought Fluttershy back, he tried to love me..."

"Then after a meeting in the castle, I spent my own special time with Tory," Luna continued, smiling at the other girls. "I forced him into the memories of his past life, where he lived as my old lover. There he gained some insight to not only who he was, but also to who he could be. He shared the memories with me later on and... That's how we fell in love."

"...So much happened to all of you," Shadow whispered.

"Yes, and it's... It's my fault that he is like this now," the dark alicorn finished sadly. "His wounds are the same as the ones Two-Tail had when he died a millennia ago. Tory was reliving some memories, and they made him like this..."

Luna began to sob once more, to which Fluttershy and Rainbow hugged her tightly. Everypony else was quiet, making the cold wind and crying the only sounds about them. Some turned their gaze to the stars and marveled at the new constellation, while others let their minds wander back to recent events. Finally Shadow sighed and spoke up, grabbing everypony's attention.

"If... If you like," he began. "I c-could... Help you..."

"How?" Rainbow spoke up quickly, casting a glance at him before returning it to look at Luna. Both of them had this slight twinkle in their eyes.

"My... My powers," he answered, smiling weakly at them. "I learned some things a-and... One of them let's me... G-Go into the minds of somepony. I can... Bring all of you in too."

"Really?!" all three of the girls spoke up in unison, making the deep gray pegasus fall onto his back from surprise at the sudden change.

"Y-Yeah," he nodded, getting up with a slight blush. "I don't mind if... If I'm helping you..."

This caused Fluttershy to turn red as well, and she turned away so that nopony would see. She couldn't let these feelings surface, not when she was happily married to Tory! But... But she had to be with her husband, no matter what. She would deal with this and remain with him no matter what the cost. He would do the same for her...

"O...Okay," Fluttershy agreed, bringing her hooves up and holding the one with the wedding bracelet close to her heart. She could almost feel him when she did that. "Take us to him..."

I.I.I

"Heh, this is perfect," came a dark, sickeningly familiar voice. "He's weakened, and they're all so distracted by it... Now is the time to strike."

Sitting upon his throne within the ruins, Discord watched Tory's friends and family struggle with his current condition. He found it quite funny to see their faces so defeated. And to hear of that story Rainbow gave. It sent him into such a fit of laughter than he almost passed out from it. He suppressed the returning laughter and kept his eyes on his targets.

Discord had been watching all of them for a day now. After his little journey to Earth, he had been recovering slowly from the magical blast Tory had unleashed. The raw force behind that assault the human unleashed had been much more than expected, and he had unknowingly added layers of barriers to the seal that blocked the demon's magic. Even now, Discord was still unraveling those protections. He could feel his power just within his reach, but he needed one last push to grab a hold it.

"But how to go about this..." the demon mused to himself. "As I stand now, I can't simply walk in and drain that boy dry. No, those pesky unicorns would stop me without a trouble. And then there is Luna..."

That was something Discord had not anticipated. He didn't expect to return and find Luna shared relations with Tory. While she would not normally be a threat, she was now. Her powers far outclassed the demon's at this time. If he were to make any move now, she could stop him, and would do so to protect that human. To get around her would be most difficult without magic.

"But I must strike now, while they are distracted!" Discord raged to himself. "Hmm... That black one could prove most useful now. Should I time my actions when they are busy inside that weakling's mind..."

The demon smirked evilly, his mind creating a plan on the spot. While they were in the mind of Tory, Discord could strike and take all of them down in one fell swoop. But his powers had not returned enough for a direct assault. And while the body of Eric was durable, it could only endure so much as well. This human form had it's limits, and Tory's friend was starting to resist the possession.

The mind of Eric kept fighting for control during Discord's time on Earth. Normally this would be no problem while the demon had power, but since it was locked away he had to rely on his own mental strength. When it came to that category, he was either quite gifted, or his host had a weak mind. Regardless, that feeble human was suppressed for the time, his body subject to Discord's will.

"Perhaps I should let my subordinates take care of this dilemma," the demon concluded. He leaned back in his throne and shouted loudly into the emptiness of his castle. "Subjects Eight through Ten, and Subject Thirteen!"

A few seconds later four figures appeared from the shadows where two double doors stood tall. Three stallions and a mare bowed before Discord, lowering their ears in respect. He smiled as he gazed upon his four followers, all of them enemies to Tory's friends. With them on this mission, he was sure to be rid of Tory at last! The demon stood up and walked over to each of the ponies before him. He stepped in front of the mare and rested a hand upon her mane.

"Subject Thirteen," he started. "Your assignment is to locate and remove Twilight Sparkle, Fantasia, and anypony else that does not enter the mind of Tory. Distract them and take them away."

"Yes Master," she nodded, a large grin upon her face. "Trixie would be delighted to do this..."

"Good," Discord smiled, turning his attention to the stallions before him. "Then you three will enter after the coast is clear, and eliminate the rest of them. Leave not a single pony alive in that room."

They each nodded and bowed. The demon turned and moved back to his throne, signaling that they were dismissed. The ponies left without another word, bringing silence to the room once more. Discord gazed into the pool of water at his feet, the one that he used to scry on others. He could feel victory just within reach now. He wouldn't have to dirty his hands at all, nor risk his life either.

"Let's see how well those fools handle this challenge!" Discord laughed.

I.I.I

“Okay, now I can't take all of you with me,” Shadow explained to the group. “At most, I could maybe bring along three or four of you.”

The rest of the ponies looked between each other and nodded. It was obvious who should go and who shouldn't. It needn't be said that Luna, Rainbow, and Fluttershy should make this journey into Tory's mind. They were his wives after all, and they were the closest to him. They only got to experience their wedding as a family, and nothing else yet. It would be only right for them to go with this strange pegasus that two of them called a dear friend.

“It'll be us,” Luna said, stepping forward. “Me, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash will undergo this trial... for Tory.”

“Yes we...” the golden pegasus started. “We miss him... so much.”

“Thank you... Thank you for this Shadow,” Rainbow smiled at him, hugging the stallion tightly. “You don't know how great it is to have you back, and to have your help when we need it most.”

“You're my closest friends,” he grinned back, his eyes watering up a little. “I'm... I'm happy to do this for you both... and for you Princess Luna.”

“Please, just call me Luna,” the dark alicorn replied. “You are a friend of my sisters-in-law, therefore you are my friend. You do not have to speak so formally with me.”

“A-Alright,” Shadow nodded. He stepped over to Tory and a small tendril emerged from the ground by his hooves. “I'll connect with your minds first, and then I'll pool all of us into what I like to call the 'Open Mindframe'. You'll see a couple doors, all of them different. Each one represents one of our minds. Do not open any of those doors unless you are sure which one belongs to who.”

The girls nodded, and the deep gray pegasus created three more tendrils. They each touched Luna, Rainbow, and Fluttershy on the forehead, and there was a faded black light that emerged from it. Twilight, Fantasia, Ditzy, and Raven had to turn away or else risk being blinded. Shadow on the other hoof, was perfectly fine looking at it. He turned to Tory once more and connected his free tendril to the human's forehead as well. Another light emerged once more, and then there was nothing.

“What... What happened?” Ditzy asked, looking over.

The rest of the group saw the girls and Shadow standing there, unmoving. The tendrils were emitting faded colors that connected to the deep gray pegasus from the girls, then over to their lover. The light from before was gone, which allowed the group to look about once more. Raven walked over to Luna and waved a hoof in front of her face.

“P-Princess?” he asked, unsure if she could hear him. She didn't respond. “I... I guess it worked.”

“They're all inside Tory's mind now,” Twilight commented, looking at her friends. “We'd best keep guard here, for them. Who knows when something might happen...”

The group nodded in agreement, and moved about, getting comfy wherever they could. Raven and Ditzy sat by the window, Twilight by Tory's bed, and Fantasia by the door. They each did their own thing to pass by the time, hoping that whatever was being done, it wouldn't take too long. Twilight began to read one of the human books Tory had given her, the pegasus lieutenant and his marefriend chatted about what their next plans were, since their date had been so rudely interrupted, and Fantasia sat there, completely silent, in a meditative stance.

“My my my, such simple foals!” came a familiar and crude female voice. “Trixie was sure that you would have taken the time to set up defenses!”

Everypony turned towards the door and saw the blue unicorn mare that had threatened them earlier. Fantasia's face turned into a scowl, and she quickly grabbed the showpony. The anger seen in her eyes was not lost on anypony. Twilight put her book down calmly and walked over, sensing that a fight was going to break out. If one looked closely, they could also see the anger in her eyes as well.

"What are you doing here Trixie," the purple unicorn asked, keeping her voice calm. "If you are here to cause trouble, I would suggest leaving now..."

"Like, right now!" Fantasia snarled, her horn glowing a faded white. "And don't come back!"

"Hmph!" Trixie huffed. "Tough talk from a weakling! You low class ponies do nothing but bark! When it's time to act, you just whimper and crawl away with your tails between your legs! You are no sister of Trixie's, you are a mutt!"

"Wanna see what this 'Mutt' can do?!" the white unicorn challenged, rearing back a hoof.

"Hold up," Twilight stopped her, still somehow calm. "This is neither the time nor the place. We have something much more important to do Fantasia..."

Motioning to Tory and the girls, the purple unicorn tried to soothe her friend. The white pony gave a sigh and dropped the showpony to the floor. Stepping back, her horn lit up and Trixie's hooves did as well. They became rooted to the tiled floor, making it impossible for the blue unicorn to move about. Once that was done, it seemed the tension had died down some, and everypony relaxed just a bit.

“Anyways, what are you doing here Trixie?” Fantasia demanded.

“Trixie was hoping you would ask,” the blue unicorn smiled. “Trixie must talk with you about something of great importance...”

I.I.I

As the light faded, Fluttershy looked around. All she could see besides her sisters and Shadow was white. Complete white that went on forever. There was no floor, no ceiling or sky, just the same color that blanketed everywhere around the group. They were perhaps the only color there... at least, that is what Fluttershy initially thought.

“Hey, where did this door come from?” Rainbow asked, stepping up to a wooden door that was decorated with small images of woodland creatures. It had a silver border to it, with a small shield in the center. “It looks like the kind of door Fluttershy would have at her house.”

“That's because it's the gateway to her mind,” Shadow Breeze answered, walking over to her. “This door represents the likeness of the owner. Since Fluttershy cares so much about animals, it would only make sense that her gateway would contain something like this. But the shield and the silver border...”

“That's Tory,” Luna smiled, looking at the golden pegasus. “She does love him. It would only make sense that her love would be so strongly ingrained into her soul that it would show like this.”

“Kinda like yours?” Rainbow giggled, pointing a hoof over her shoulder.

Behind the dark alicorn was a set of double doors, one that was a deep indigo with constellations decorating it. In the center was a large shield, just like Fluttershy's door had. But in the center of that, there was a crescent moon. Silver tribal markings traveled along the borders of the massive doors. This must be the door that led to Luna's mind.

“Yes,” she smiled. “Much like mine really.”

“And like yours too Rainbow,” Shadow smirked, pointing over to the side.

In between Luna and Fluttershy's gateways was a large cloud door with a rainbow border and a large lightning bold arcing down the side opposite the knob. As with the doors of her sisters, there was a large shield that looked to be made of glass, almost like a window. The handle was make of what looked like quick-silver, in the shape of a heart.

“Then... is that the gateway to Tory's mind?” Fluttershy asked, pointing off in the distance where a faded speck could be seen.

The girls and Shadow trotted over to the speck. Approaching it, the group was able to identify the object as a set of silver double doors. It was decorated with a giant shield that occupied most of them, and on it were three symbols that formed a triangle. On the left was Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. The right one was Luna's, and the top one was obviously Fluttershy's. But this isn't what stood out most for the group. What really caught their eyes were the faded pictures that moved about the door. Each one showed what looked like more humans through the eyes of someone. It was then that they realized that those weren't just images, but memories being played out in front of them!

“This must be his gateway,” Fluttershy whispered, a determined look across her face. “Somewhere in there... Somewhere in there, we'll find Tory.”

“Then let's go,” Luna nodded.

As they walked up to the doors, the memories faded away, revealing their bareness. There was not a handle or knob anywhere on them. Discarding this fact, the girls stood on their back hooves and used their fore-hooves to push it open. After a few seconds it started to budge, and then it gave way to a black corridor. The whiteness that surrounded them before vanished, being replaced by pure black. Yet still the girls did not even flinch. Rainbow took the initiative, and broke into a gallop, the rest following her. She kept her eyes glued up ahead and whispered to herself.

“We're coming Tory...”

I.I.I

"Vy, should... Should we really be doing this?" asked the quiet and well-mannered voice of Octavia. She looked about, her charcoal shaded mane gently flowing about her form as her violet eyes checked their surroundings. "It feels wrong, almost like we're stalking them..."

After the wedding, the light gray mare had contacted her friend Vinyl Scratch, asking if she knew of a pony named Silverwing from Ponyville. The white unicorn had simply shrugged and said there was no trace of him in her hometown. The only change in population was the addition of the humans recently, which she thought was cool. Now curious, Octavia and her friend decided to gather info on them. And per the DJ's suggestion, they had been keeping tabs on them for the last few hours.

"Ya worry too much 'Tavi!" Vinyl laughed, patting her friend on the back. "Besides, it's not like we mean any harm right? We're just a couple of ponies checking up on a patient!"

"Somehow I doubt that the others would see it in such a manner..." the cellist said under her breath, shifting about on her hooves uncomfortably.

Normally Octavia would keep to herself. And she was a considerate pony as well, so she found the concept of tracking a pony around to be... Well invasive of their privacy! Yet something about the appearance of Silverwing at the wedding threw her off. She couldn't quite place what that something was, but nonetheless it bothered her to no end. After some convincing by Vinyl, the gray mare had accepted the idea. Now the two of them were standing outside Tory's room, eavesdropping on Twilight and her friends, who were quietly talking with a unicorn that the DJ pony had identified as Trixie Lulamoon.

"Hush Tavi!" Vinyl silenced her, pressing an ear to the door once more. "It's hard enough hearing them when you aren't talking..."

"Wait just a moment," came the voice of the showpony. "It seems that Trixie has found some... Unwanted guests listening to us...".

Before either mare had a chance to react, the door they were leaning against flew open and the two fell to the tiled floor right beside a blue unicorn with a glare upon her face. The others in the room simply stared at the new arrivals, their expressions blank. Octavia quickly stood up and dusted herself off. She turned her head just a bit to hide her blush. Vinyl though, got up with a large grin on her face.

"Alright everypony," she laughed. "Take a seat! DJ Pon-3 is here to liven things up!"

"Er, q-quite," The cellist stammered, embarrassed to be caught so easily. "We um..."

"Were just leaving," Trixie finished, hinting at a threat otherwise.

"Nope!" the DJ pony grinned, her signature shades sliding down her nose a bit, revealing the red eyes underneath. "We came cause we heard a friend was hurt, and wanted to see how we could help!"

"Y-Yes, that's it," Octavia nodded, catching on to her friend's lie. "I sincerely hope we are n-not intruding..."

"Actually, your timing could not have been more perfect," Raven smirked. "You see, our um... Acquaintance here wished to show us something, and it requires us to step away. We do not wish to leave our friends here alone, while they are... Occupied. Would you be willing to keep watch for us?"

"P-Pardon?" the light gray earth pony questioned, looking a him.

"Yeah no problemo!" Vinyl cut in, stopping her friend. "We can sit here for ya!"

"Actually, they are welcome to see as well," Trixie spoke up once more, shooting a less violent look a the two.

"That is kind of you Sister," a white unicorn like Vinyl countered. "But Raven is right. There are ponies out there that wish to harm our friends here..."

The showpony looked like she wanted to protest, but she kept whatever she wanted to say back and simply turned to leave. The others grinned at each other, the look in their eyes confusing Octavia. It looked like they had won some weird fight with Trixie by their expressions. She would have asked just them, but they didn't give her time, as they walked out and followed the blue unicorn. This left the room in silence, something that a certain DJ Pon-3 wasn't fond of...

“I need music!” she suddenly shouted, making her friend flinch. “Tavi, play something for me!”

“U-Um... I can't?” the cellist answered, stepping back. “I don't have my cello with me...”

Without even saying another word, Vinyl teleported out of the room and reappeared beside the earth pony with a large black case. She pushed it to Octavia, who quickly caught the instrument in her hooves. Why? Why must that unicorn be so rough with her belongings?! This was the fourth time this week that the DJ pony had broken into her home via magic and stole something from her!

“Play something, please!” her friend begged. “I need music! I need something!”

Vinyl, having not found her form of magic yet, had been practically leaning on Octavia as of late. It seems the need for music had been getting to her, and the cellist's consistent playing must have triggered a desire for classical. With a soft smile to her friend, the earth pony opened her case, brought out her instrument as well as the bow, and took a seat by Tory's bed, where it seemed most comfortable.

Octavia began to play slowly, her bow running across the strings gently, causing a soft note to play out. She wasn't sure what she was going to play really. Lately, the only things she did was play dumb songs that she had known for years. She wanted something to change, something different like... Like... Like what she had played just a few nights prior.

It had been such a sad song but... It stuck with Octavia. She liked it, though it brought tears to her eyes every time. Almost immediately she felt the salty tears sting at her eyes. Just thinking about the song that touched her heart set her off still. Forcing her hooves to stop shaking, the cellist played the first note. Long, slow, and quiet was how she felt it play. She broke into a light smile as she felt her soul fly up with each melodious note.

The tears started to flow, running down her cheeks slowly. Octavia didn't care though. She didn't care that her friend could see the tears in her eyes, that Vinyl could hear the small sobs under the song. No, she only cared about this song that seemed to whisper sad yet also happy truths to her. And with each note that sounded, the whispers gradually became soft words, then a voice filled with confidence, and so forth until Octavia could practically hear the song shouting at her.

Vinyl watched with her mouth open, her only friend playing... She wasn't sure what, but evidently it had a powerful effect on Octavia. Very few things could make the cellist tear up, let alone openly cry. But it wasn't sad, no these tears were... Happy almost. The DJ pony watched as the light gray earth pony began to smile, her song growing in volume as her grin did.

"This song..." Vinyl thought to herself, wiping her own tear away. "Wherever it came from... It moved Tavi. I can hear it, her heart behind each and every note. Whoever gave her this song... Gave her something strong enough to touch her heart again... I haven't heard Octavia play like this since..."

As the last few notes rang out over the room, the cellist sniffled once and gazed out the window at the bright stars above. Vinyl came over and placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder. Turning her head, the earth pony couldn't help but smile as she saw the look the white unicorn gave. They both knew... This song had found it's way to her soul, and opened her once more to the world.

"That was beautiful Tavi," DJ Pon-3 smiled. "What was that song?"

"It was something that pegasus Silverwing gave to me," Octavia answered. "The notes said 'Nearer My God to Thee'..."

"Then we totally gotta thank him for helping you," Vinyl said.

"... I... I should," the cellist agreed, looking up at her friend. "But I..."

As she trailed off, the white unicorn cast a glance in her direction. She gaped as she saw one thing that had only been seen once in all the years she had known the earth pony... Octavia, the secluded mare that reserved herself from the world, that cared only for her music... she was blushing! Vinyl's shades nearly fell off as she could do nothing but show surprise at this emotional display before her, an emotional display that came from OCTAVIA no less!

"You... You mean that..." the DJ pony trailed off, knowing what her friend couldn't openly say.

"Perhaps my music was meant to fly on wings of silver," the gray mare smiled, her blush intensifying. "I-Instead of taking root in the ground under my hooves."

"Well isn't that sweet!" came a jeer from the door.

Turning around, the two mares came face to face with three large pegasi, all of them wearing white lab coats and sneering at the musicians. The one in front came forth, his blue eyes sending daggers into the cellist and her friend. Three colts, each of them larger than the last. Octavia stepped back uncertainly, starting to fear for her life. Vinyl did the same, but she had a determined look in her eyes.

"I'll keep this simple," the obvious leader started. "You little fillies get goin' or you'll end up like those five will..."

"Yeah!" the other two agreed in unison.

"You mean you'll try," the DJ pony countered, her horn glowing light blue. "I've had my fair share of brawls, and you three don't look as tough as those ponies!"

"Vy, what are you doing?!" Octavia whispered to her friend.

"I'm doin' what that red pony wanted us to do!" she countered, grinning at the cellist. "We gotta protect 'em, right?"

"Doin' this the hard way, huh?" the leader sneered. "Fine, but you asked for it! Boys, get 'em..."

The other two stallions stepped up, and in response were turned a light blue and hurled back into the hallway. Vinyl laughed and stepped forward. This was a piece of cake! Those two couldn't get near her at all! She levitated her shades back on and smirked widely. The leader sent a glare in response and lunged forward. Once more the DJ pony picked him up with her magic and flung him into a wall.

"Seriously, you guys are like, a drag," she sighed. "What are you even doing here?"

"Shuddup!" the leader snapped. "Our boss's plans won't be stopped by you!"

"This is i-insane," Octavia is whispered to herself. "What am I getting myself into?"

"You're boring now " Vinyl commented, shaking her head. "So I'm goin' to make you leave."

Before the pegasus had a chance to ask her what she meant, his body was picked up by magic and flung out the window rapidly. Unable to slow or stop himself, the pony's momentum carried him far into the night, away from the hospital. Looking over at the other two, Vinyl stepped forward and smirked. They yelped and quickly scrambled down the hallway, their tails between their legs.

"Ha! Too easy!" she laughed after them. "Come back when ya grow some-"

"VY!!" Octavia yelled. "What did you just do?!"

"What?" her friend asked. "They threatened us first!"

"But you..."

"I took care of them," Vinyl stopped her, speaking calmly.

"I... I suppose so," Octavia reluctantly agreed. "But would you be so kind as to not cause such a ruckus next time? I nearly jumped out of my coat, you frightened me so badly."

"Heh, yeah alright," the DJ pony grinned. "I'll keep quiet next time."

With a nod, Octavia began to relax. Whatever had just happened, it was over now. She looked about, her cello suddenly missing. Now where had her instrument gone? She could use a relaxing song now, and she was sure that Vinyl could as well. After a second of investigating the room, she found her cello on the floor by the ponies that were just standing there.

"Now what possessed me to place my cello in such a spot like that?" she asked aloud, moving over to it. "I pray no damage has come to it..."

As the cellist got to her instrument, she noticed the dark blue pony beside it. Octavia let out a gasp as she realized that Princess Luna stood before her. The Alicorn's eyes were closed, and she looked to be at peace almost. But what stood out the most was this dark glow about her frame. It radiated off her body lightly and the color seemed to seep into the form of the human in bed. Only at this point did she actually notice who was who. Standing in front of her, all of them wearing the same expression, was Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and another pegasus that she did not recognize.

"Vy," she whispered. "I think I know something now..."

"Yeah?" her friend asked, slightly curious as to why the cellist was acting so weird suddenly.

But Octavia didn't get the chance to say anything, as she had accidentally bumped into Luna. The dark glowing on the Alicorn's form crawled along the cellist's light gray coat, sending shivers along her spine as it went. He mind started to go blank, and her hearing vanished almost instantly. She could not feel the floor under her hooves either. With an unfelt shudder, Octavia lost consciousness...

I.I.I

"Hey, I think she's coming to.." came a soft voice.

"About time! I was getting tired of waiting!" a brash voice returned.

"Hey quiet," a calm voice spoke. "Give her some space girls..."

Octavia was confused at the moment, which only served to increase the migraine she could feel at the back of her head. Those voices, she knew them... Kinda. They sounded familiar to her at least. It wasn't her friend Vinyl, because there was a guy there, and the two females sounded much different... Wait, what happened? Wasn't she just talking with her friend a moment ago? There had been that glowing and then the next thing Octavia knew...

"Uhn..." the cellist groaned, sitting up slowly.

"Easy there," the male voice warned, a pair of gentle hooves supporting her. "You might be a little dizzy. I would take things kinda slow at first."

"Oh great," the brash one sighed. "This better not take too long. We gotta find Tory! I can't stand much more of this!"

Tory? That caught a hold of Octavia's attention. Ignoring the migraine that was slowly surfacing, she opened her eyes to find herself within an endless dark corridor, metallic doors along both sides of the wall. In front of her were four ponies, more specifically, three mares that had been married recently and a deep gray pegasus stallion.

"R-Rainbow Dash... Fluttershy... Princess Luna..." she started. "Pray tell... What is going on?"

"Looks like you're alright mentally," Shadow smiled. "Good. Do you think you can stand?"

"I should be able to support myself yes," Octavia nodded, climbing to her hooves shakily. "But please tell me, just what is this place?"

"We're inside the mind of our husband," Luna answered, stepping forward. "But I would like to ask you something now. How and why are you here?"

"I do not know..." the cellist replied. "I was in the hospital playing a melody I had learned recently and then me and my companion were attacked by a group of brutish pegasi. After she fended them off, I went to claim my cello nearby and upon standing up... Here I am."

"That makes no sense!" Rainbow snapped at her. "I think you're a spy, sent to harm us from Discord!"

"Easy now," the deep gray stallion soothed, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "I should be honest, it is entirely possible for others to join us right now... Given a few requirements are met."

"R-Requirements?" Fluttershy asked, looking at the earth pony uncertainly.

"The first is contact with one already inside the mindframe," Shadow started, looking at the girls. "The second is a little more... Personal. Since we're inside Tory's mind, the pony that wants to join must be accepted by him. Since he's in a coma, he cannot willingly allow her in so other mental functions consider a few factors..."

"Please tell me this isn't where I think it's going," Luna asked, her voice raising.

Shadow looked at her and nodded. She knew what it meant just as well as he did. Since Tory could not openly accept her mind into his, the only possible way for Octavia to enter was if he had some sort of connection or attachment to her. If one was found, then access was granted to the external force. By that logic, it meant the human and the cellist were connected in some way shape or form. But Shadow left out one important fact...

He didn't mention that the external force had to also hold the connection. It couldn't be a one way attraction. Meaning to those that knew, Octavia considered Tory strongly. But if that was the case, she was certainly not acting like it. She almost seemed unsure of who Tory was actually. That was something Shadow could tell, simply because his powers were the key to this and they allowed him access into the hearts of those he connected with.

"I'm afraid that I do not understand," Octavia commented. "Just who is Tory anyways? I know I played at the wedding for him and you three, but I do not know him myself."

"Tory is the human that you saw within the hospital," Luna answered, glaring at her.

"U-Um let's... Let's get moving," the deep gray pegasus stammered, feeling intense waves of hate radiating off of the alicorn. "If we're going to see Tory, we should get moving..."

Without another word, Luna turned and trotted down the corridor. Fluttershy and Rainbow watched her leave, then looked back at Octavia. What just happened? They didn't understand anything at the moment. All they saw was the alicorn glaring at the cellist, and something sparked. By the looks of it, the gray earth pony was unsure herself.

All five of them continued down the corridor that seemed to go on forever. They passed many doors, each one holding numbers upon them. The numbers grew as they walked, slowly but surely going upward. They passed 5, 12, 16, and now they were on 18. The doors had previously been wooden, and looked in bad condition, but as they numbers grew, so did the quality of the doors. At this point they were now silver with a golden tinge, with a rainbow tinge, and a few with an indigo shade.

"Just what are these doors," Rainbow Dash asked, stopping at one.

"They are memories," Shadow answered. "Each door represents a new day or week in Tory's life. The numbers identify what year in his life they were in."

"So, that means this door here is a memory he made when he was 18?" Fluttershy asked, going over to one with a golden glow.

"Exactly, and evidently that particular one was important." the deep gray pegasus nodded. "That glow inside it means that Tory cherishes the memory that he shared with someone close."

Fluttershy became curious as to that. Though she was not one to go through other's personal lives and belongings, she couldn't help herself this time. It was her husband and she had a special feeling about this door. Cautiously, she opened it all the way and gazed inside. She wasn't expecting to find what she saw in it. Looking right back a her, was HER!!

Fluttershy gazed at a grayscale version of herself through the door, seeing herself go about her house, and watched as she extended her hooves toward the door, then off to the sides, followed by the original's sight being turned away. There was something odd about seeing her own movements like this, watching herself do whatever it was...

"Right now, you're seeing everything through his eyes." Shadow told her. "At the time, this is what Tory saw. If you want to see it differently, just walk into the memory."

Hesitantly, Fluttershy stepped forward and as she went through, a cold tingling traveled along length of her body. Blinking quickly, the golden pegasus found that she could see everything different now. The entire area was still gray, but she still had her color. Looking around, she saw Tory and the memory of herself walking down the road together.

Noticing the scenery, the real Fluttershy saw that they were on the trail to Ponyville. What made this memory so special to Tory anyways? Following him and herself, the mare noticed all the looks directed at her husband. She started to recall those looks they sent at him. Those were the ponies, and the looks that they had seen on his first trip into Ponyville... Meaning that this memory was...

"G-Guh!" came the familiar voice of her husband.

Looking over, she saw him on the ground, clutching at his chest and gasping for air. She teared up, knowing now that this was one of the times that Discord had contacted Tory. How could she just stand there without doing anything back then?! Rushing forward, the real Fluttershy tried to warn the past version of her. But the memory her did nothing at all, not even acknowledge that she was there.

"DO SOMETHING FOR HIM!!" Fluttershy screamed at herself, tears running down her cheeks openly. "Get help, call for somepony!! SAVE HIM!!!"

"D-Derpy quick!" the grayscale copy spoke, turning to a memory version of the cross-eyed mare. "Fetch Twilight and t-tell her it is important!"

At that moment Tory collapsed, his breathing ragged and shallow. The real Fluttershy screamed and tried to slap the memory of herself for not doing enough, but her hoof simply phased through, like there was nopony there. What was going on? Why couldn't the gray Fluttershy hear her, why didn't she react to the original?!

"You're in a memory," came the voice of her old friend Shadow. "You can't change someone's memories Fluttershy. No, this is what happened, and that will not change no matter what."

"... Just... Just get me out of here," she sobbed, collapsing on the ground herself. "I don't want to see anymore... Why would Tory cherish this memory?"

"Tory, you're okay!"

Turning to the sound of her own voice, Fluttershy saw herself hugging the human boy, to which he blushed. The gray version of herself started to talk about how worried she was, and how she didn't know what to do. By the original was not focused on that. The entire time, she had her eyes on Tory, who kept his blush on. That was when it struck her.

"That's why," Shadow smiled. "He cherished this moment with you, when you showed how much you cared for him."

"... Okay, let's go," the golden pegasus whispered, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks and a soft smile upon her face.

The gray world started to dissolve, and once more Fluttershy found herself back within the dark corridor. She looked around, and saw many doors with a golden shade glowing just under the silver. It brought a blush to her face, just seeing all of the times that Tory valued so much with her. There were so many, they even continued into the blackness.

Turning back to her sisters, the golden mare gave them a nod, and the others understood what it meant. The doors that glowed rainbow or indigo were happy times the girls shared with the human the loved. It was almost like a gesture of love from their husband. To see all of these doors glowing so strongly... There must be one for every day that he spent with them.

Octavia smiled as she watched the girls hug, tears in their eyes, yet something inside her did not like it. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was most unpleasant. The feeling made her kinda sad, yet angry at the same time... Envy? Was this jealousy that the cellist was experiencing? Did seeing such a display of affection among family really bring about these negative emotions?

"It's alright to feel that way Octavia," came Shadow's voice at her side, quiet so the others would not hear. "What you are feeling is perfectly natural."

"How did..."

"The girls might not have seen it," he started. "But I noticed your expression change some, saw the light in your eyes dimming..."

"I do not quite understand," Octavia whispered, looking everywhere but him.

"Most ponies don't know love until they are so engulfed in it," the deep gray pegasus said. "Some realize it when they see it in others though..."

"Are you implying something," the cellist asked, stepping away from him slightly.

"Yes... You're in love Octavia," Shadow told her plainly. "As to whom... Let me say that he shares the feelings as well, even if he refuses to admit it."

"Me, in love?" she whispered, mostly to herself. "That might make sense, but the only one that I feel for is far away most likely."

"He may be closer than you realize," the pegasus told her. "Much closer..."

With that, Shadow walked over to the others, they smiled and looked at Octavia. Was it her imagination, or was Luna oddly upset with her for some reason? Shaking this unpleasant line of though free, the cellist put on a light smile and went to join them. They all continued down the corridor in silence, one that the earth pony found almost deafening with how loud her thoughts beat at her.

"He is closer than I realize..." Octavia thought. "But... Silverwing is nowhere to be found. It's like he appeared from thin air almost..."

"...Hey, I have an idea," Rainbow started, breaking the silence. "Why not just stay in here and go through Tory's memories until we find what did this?"

"U-Um," Luna stammered. "B-Because I... I already know..."

"You know what happened to him?" Fluttershy questioned, casting a soft, caring look at her sister.

"He was..." the dark alicorn trailed off, casting a glance at Octavia.

"Y-Yes Princess?" the cellist returned, stepping back. She felt like Luna had something against her almost.

"I... Cannot say at this time," the dark alicorn finished, directing a glare at the earth pony.

Luna turned and trotted away, leaving the rest of them to wonder just what was going on with her. And what was with those dark looks she kept sending Octavia? Each of the girls there wondered that, but Shadow knew just why the Princess disliked the cellist... She didn't like the idea of Tory loving another pony. That this earth pony could attract him without even realizing it... Such a thought could do nothing but cause the alicorn to resent the mare.

"I wonder why Luna is acting so strange..." Rainbow commented, speaking everypony's thoughts.

"It must be something I did to upset her," Octavia whispered, hanging her head. "I have offended her in some way and now she will direct her anger at me."

"No no," Fluttershy soothed. "I am sure that she is just worried about Tory. She has been so upset since this began, and right after our wedding. Please forgive her..."

"But still, I have upset her and... I am sure that it must involve my presence here," the cellist said quietly, tearing up. "Perhaps I should leave..."

Before anypony could do or say anything, Octavia turned and galloped back the way they had come. She vanished into the darkness right as the others came to their senses. Rainbow quickly flew after her, followed by Fluttershy. Shadow stood there and sighed. He slowly began to follow them, a small cloud of smoke appearing behind him.

"Sheesh..." he whispered. "Just how many mares are going to fall for this one guy? Maybe if I hang around him, I could learn a thing or two..."

I.I.I

“Oh, why did I have the audacity to just spy on them like that?” Octavia asked herself aloud. “Here I am now, trapped in the mind of… some human or whatever, and I’m lost…”

After leaving the group behind, and somehow dodging Rainbow Dash, the cellist had wandered down the endless corridor, trying to find the exit and a way back to the hospital. Yet it seemed like the black hall would never end. The only thing that changed were the numbers on the doors, and the actual doors themselves. The symbols slowly, very slowly, went down in number, and the quality of the wooden doors dropped at the same rate.

“For shame Octavia,” the earth pony scolded herself. “You were reckless and such an action has not only placed you in an unfamiliar location, but the Princess is displeased with you, and most likely wants to never see your face again…”

With a sigh, the mare stopped walking and hung her head. This wasn’t right. She didn’t even know what she did wrong. All she wanted was to locate that pegasus named Silverwing, and then… Well she had no idea what she planned to do then, but something told her it involved a date or two… But of course, she had to end up on Princess Luna’s bad side, and find herself trapped in some empty pocket of reality…

Her hooves somewhat sore from galloping, and her confidence weakened considerably, Octavia could do nothing but stop and rest. She went over to one of the doors and leaned against it heavily, panting somewhat. She had little energy left after so much happening to her all at one time. To continue moving now could be potentially hazardous to her health.

Shifting to a slightly more comfortable position, the cellist accidentally turned the knob and pushed it open. There was a slightly blinding light as the mare tumbled into... She had no idea where she was suddenly. Getting to her hooves quickly, she looked around, and noted how gray the entire world suddenly looked. But what threw her off the most was the ponies around her, or lack of to be precise. No, instead there were many of those... Humans, she recalled.

Octavia looked about to find a very large room with a stage in the front, and what looked like a line of younger humans entering one of three different doors in the back. The entire center of the room had two columns of wide tables, each able to hold about 50 of these two-legged creatures by the earth pony's count. There were twelve tables in all, six in a column, two per row. Yet one thing threw the cellist of the most...

A single human child sat at one of these tables made to hold many. He sat there in silence, eating alone. He had a slight bowl cut, and a tad pudge to him. His face was one that she herself was familiar with... Defeat. This child sat alone, sad and broken. Looking about, Octavia could find no reason why he should be this way. That was, until she heard the others whispering...

"Why is he even in this school?" one asked to another.

"I heard that he came from that school for delinquents, you know, the town just south of here?" the second replied.

"Well he's weird," a third broke in. "He's always so mopey, and it's depressing."

Octavia flattened her ears sadly. She understood now. That boy, he was new to this place, and he was upset... Very upset by the words said and his expression. She walked over to and took a seat on the stool beside him. Upon closer inspection, she saw tears streaming down his cheeks, and his body was shaking, biting back the sobs that threatened to consume him. He wasn't just sad, he was completely broken inside...

"It's...n-not my f-fault..." he whispered, sobbing quietly. "I... I'm not a d-delinquent... I'm just... J-Just Tory..."

Octavia's eyes widened in shock as she took a closer look at his face. This was indeed the human Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Princess Luna had married! This was him as a little one, perhaps a few years prior. He... He had been a loner. The cellist lowered her head. She understood that pain quite well. For many years, the mare had dealt with her life alone.

"Hey Tory!" a cocky voice called out, grabbing her attention. "I don't think we ever finished our little meeting from this morning!"

Looking over this newcomer, Octavia gasped as she saw a very large human approach. He was a tall one, with a muscular build to compliment his height. He had many freckles, and short red hair. As he came over, he started cracking his neck loudly. Behind him stood two smaller, but just as well-built humans. The cellist knew what was about to happen...

"Just..." the younger Tory started. "Just go away please... I never did anything to you..."

"Yeah you think that," the obvious leader sneered. "But really, your whiney little face makes me mad. You just sit there and cry all day, even in class. Maybe if you weren't so weak, I wouldn't have to punch you..."

"Enough of this!!" Octavia ordered, standing on the table so she could at least look the figure towering over them in the eyes. "You'll leave this boy alone or else! I'll not have you torment one such as him!"

But the large human ignored her, performing the memory as it had happened. The brute grabbed Tory by his shirt collar and yanked him out of his seat, causing a loud commotion as he slid back against the tiled floor into a trash can. The contents spilled out and fell on him, causing all of the others in the room to laugh at his misfortune. Octavia could not believe her eyes...

"... They say only the weak harm others for self gain," the grayscale boy commented, climbing to his feet and brushing the trash away. "My mother taught me that bullies only pick on others because they don't feel good about themselves..."

"Well your mom is stupid!" the large one laughed, as did the two behind him. Tory flinched and this caught his attention. "Oh that got to you huh? Got a soft spot for her do ya?"

"Don't even..." the boy hissed, clenching his fists tight.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please!!" the brute sneered, stepping up to him. "Just like I did your mom!"

"FUCK YOU!!" the boy roared, kicking the big human between the legs. The red-haired giant collapsed on the ground. "DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT HER LIKE YOU KNEW HER!!!"

Knew? Past tense... Meaning that... Octavia gasped as she placed it together. Tory's mother was dead, gone from the world they had lived in. His tears were one of loss, and the defeat in his eyes was the pain of trying to continue without her. The cellist tried to hug him, but she simply passed through him like she was a ghost. Once more she went unnoticed.

"I'll..." the brute grunted. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

His grunts came forward and grabbed Tory by the arms. They slammed him into the ground, and held him in place as their leader climbed to his feet. With a wide sneer, the monster of a human reared back a fist and slammed it into the boy's gut. There was an ear-shattering wail, which was cut off a second later by the giant punching him in the face. Octavia gasped as she saw them brutally attack this helpless child.

And still, no one came to assist him! All of these humans simply sat there, watching the whole scene unfold before them! Some wore a blank expression, others looked angry, while still a few cheered for this beating. Were these beings really so twisted that they enjoyed the brutal assault of the weak?! So disgusted was Octavia that she could do nothing but scream at them.

"ALL OF YOU ARE PATHETIC!!!" the cellist screeched. "YOU'LL NOT EVEN STAND UP TO PROTECT ONE WHO CANNOT DEFEND HIMSELF?!"

As expected, none of them responded. Tears welled up in the earth pony's eyes as she turned back to see the onslaught still happening. The large human slammed his fist into Tory's stomach once more, and the boy coughed up some blood. Octavia simply broke down after that. This was no being, this was just a monster, slaughtering an innocent lamb! He was a bloodthirsty beast that desired only the suffering of others!

"P-Please!" she sobbed, her voice begging now. "Just s-stop it!! Leave him alone!"

"Horrible, isn't it," a voice behind her spoke. Turning to look at them, the cellist saw it was Luna. There was no anger in her eyes now, only pity and sadness. "Tory had endured a harsh life, that we knew... But this is beyond what we expected. That our husband is able to continue on, even after... This... It... It is remarkable."

"One should not have to endure such pain," Octavia whispered.

"Quite," the dark alicorn nodded. She cast a softer glance at the mare, one that appeared apologetic. "I... I hope you will forgive me for my actions earlier. I was... Hasty in assuming badly of you."

"I see no reason to hold anger against you," the earth pony smiled. Truly she could not hold anything against her princess, who might simply have been under stress as Fluttershy had said. "But if I may be so bold... Would you please inform me as to what upset you so?"

The dark alicorn sighed quietly. She looked over at the young memory of her husband. He laid there, unmoving but awake. His chest rose and fell slowly, proving that he was alive. His face was beaten horribly, and blood could been seen all about him. She turned away once more, unable to look at the results of such an assault. That beast was heartless...

"Octavia, when you look at this boy, what do you see?" Luna finally asked, looking at the earth pony.

"I... I see myself," the cellist answered quietly. "I see the hardships I endured when I was still a filly."

"Now what do you feel?" the dark alicorn pressed. "How does the sight, the thought of this boy... How does HE make you feel?"

"I... I cannot say for certain," the mare answered, her eyes still locked on the human before her. "Looking at him I... I feel a kinship perhaps?"

"Let me try this," Luna started. "What brought you to the hospital in the first place? What made you enter Tory's room?"

"I um..." Octavia blushed, thinking about her reason why. "I wanted to get i-info, to find um... The pegasus Silverwing."

"...I see," the alicorn frowned, her voice quiet. There was a flicker of anger in her eyes, but the cellist did not see it. "And do you... Have feelings for this pegasus?"

"I... I believe I do," the mare blushed deeper. "I find his presence... Comforting if you will. And back at the wedding, there was something in his eyes when we talked... Something that made me feel compelled to... To just try and know him..."

"I am sure you are wondering what happened to Tory during that dance.." Luna commented, to which the mare before her nodded. "He was there, and you saw him... Three times that night. I hope you understand what I am implying..."

"I... I do not," Octavia stammered, her mind slowly putting things together.

"Then let me inform you properly,” Tory's wife began. “Silverwing is not who you believe he is. In fact, he is not a real pony. His appearance was just for that dance, simply because...”

“Not a real pony?” the gray earth pony whispered to herself.

“No, he is actually...” Luna trailed off, unable to actually say it.

Raising a hoof, the dark alicorn pointed it at the young Tory, who had finally managed to climb to his feet, if a bit shakily. Octavia glanced at his for a minute, her gaze unbroken by the crowd of humans that milled about him, all leaving now. She stared at him continuously, until she felt her cheeks start to burn red. Slowly she pieced it together. The reason Vinyl had not known Silverwing, the reason Tory had not danced with his wives, and the pegasus had... They were one and the same!

The cellist fell onto her flank and looked at her Princess, who gave her a kind look, one of sadness. Now it made sense... Luna's anger was caused by the fact that she thought Octavia was going to steal her husband away! The gray mare turned so red, she was sure that her entire body had gone that shade. This... this was insane! The stallion she had taken an interest in... he was not only married, but he wasn't even a pony?!

“I... I apologize Princess,” Octavia whispered, almost inaudible. “Had I known, I'd never have-”

“Forget it,” Luna cut her off. “I hold nothing against you. Just please... don't hate him for being different. He's truly good inside, he is!”

“I did not say that this would make me hate him,” the earth pony smiled weakly, her blush showing no signs of fading. “If anything... what I've learned and seen here... makes me feel more... understanding a-and... caring about him.”

“So even though you know he is not one of us... that he is also married...” the alicorn started.

“Forgive me Princess, I did not mean it like that,” Octavia bowed quickly, avoiding her gaze.

“...Tell me, do you know of the term 'polyamorous?'” Tory's wife sighed.

“I'm afraid I do not,” the cellist answered.

“It is something Tory told me about the night of our wedding,” Luna replied. “It means, 'to desire the love of more than one being.' My husband is polyamorous, hence the reason he was perfectly fine marrying me, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash at once.”

“I... I see,” the gray mare nodded, getting a feeling where this was going.

“Octavia, Tory might not admit it, for fear of what we might think,” the alicorn started quietly, carefully looking over the earth pony. “But whether he would care to say it or not, he likes you as well. I do not know how this came to be, but it is the only reasonable explanation as to how you were able to enter his mind.”

"He... He likes m-me?" the cellist stammered, her mind unsure how to go about after learning such a thing. "As in... Desires my... Affection?"

"Yes," the alicorn nodded slowly. "It seems that he has been fond of you for some time now, but kept it hidden, perhaps for the sakes of his wives..."

Octavia could not contain the blush that threatened to consume her entire body. To think, the pegasus she had been attracted to was actually the human that married the Princess and two Elements of Harmony! And he was smitten with her as well! The mare found her heart beating faster and faster the more she thought about it, the more that Tory filled her mind.

Perhaps... Perhaps she did love him? Yet how could she possibly share relations with him when he was married?! Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would never approve, and most likely Princess Luna would banish her for even trying it...

"I know what you must be thinking..." the alicorn sighed once more, lowering her gaze to her hooves. "You must think we would never allow such a thing to happen. While I wish it would not, it is not my choice to make. Tory is the recipient of your affections, and you are to his, almost like we are... The decision is his alone. Should he wish it... We will accept you into the family like a sister."

"P-Princess..." Octavia whispered again. "I... I am honored that you would say such a thing to a lowly musician as myself."

"Eheheheh," Tory's wife giggled. "You have his modesty... Do not think little of yourself Octavia, your talents with the cello are wondrous. The music you make is so heart warming..."

"Thank you..." the mare bowed to her. "Such praise inspires me to do my best for everypony."

"Then do your best... For Tory's sake," Luna responded, turning around. She closed her eyes and called out calmly. "Okay Shadow, I think we're ready to leave this memory..."

The grayscale world around Octavia and the dark alicorn turned black, and they found themselves back within the endless corridor that was Tory's mind. To her left, the earth pony saw Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, sending a kind look to her. To the right, she saw Shadow Breeze, a knowing smile upon his face. She blushed and looked away, somewhat embarrassed about the while thing. The girls came over and gave her a light hug.

"We heard the whole thing," Fluttershy whispered into her ear.

"Yeah, every word," the cyan pegasus nodded.

"T-Then..." the gray mare stammered. "You are not angry?"

"Why should we be?" Luna asked. "True we were not expecting this, and so soon after our wedding, but it is fine with us..."

"Like my sister told you," Fluttershy continued. "Our husband is polyamorous, and he cares about you as well... We know that you hadn't mean for this to happen."

"Tory will still love us all equally," Rainbow smiled at her. "He would never value one of us over the other. So we don't mind if you love him too..."

"Under one condition of course," the dark alicorn interjected. "Before I accept you fully, I want to see you prove yourself... Show me how much you love him..."

"I... Now?" Octavia asked.

"No no, the time and place is not now or here," Luna shook he head. "Sometime soon though, I expect to see you express your love for him as best you can... If you truly love him that is..."

The entire group went silent at that. They understood the Alicorn's desire to protect her husband from something that might not last, but perhaps she had decided to go about this the wrong way? Surely that was a little much for the cellist to take on so soon into a relationship she had not even started yet, that she herself was not completely sure of...

"...Very well," Octavia stated firmly, her eyes showing fierce determination. "I accept this challenge, and I shall exceed your expectations!"

"Then I await the day," Luna smiled. "I will look forward to when you can show me how you truly feel inside for our husband."

Shadow breathed a sigh of relief. Things had been tense there for a bit, what with Octavia's sudden appearance, Luna's dislike for the mare, her running away, and the sudden challenge that she had been issued. Now with the earth pony's confident answer, it seems the tension had died off almost completely, and now all of the girls here could be friendly to one another... At least a bit anyways.

They all proceeded down the corridor once more, the search for Tory back on. They made small talk, they laughed, did what friends normally do. It wasn't until Octavia found herself blinded by a unusually strong silver and gray glow that they all went silent. Looking forward, the group saw a door with two different numbers on it. The first was 17, followed by a slash and then 18. It was very peculiar as it held a lock upon it, and if one listened closely, they could hear the sound of music. It was a strings instrument that Fluttershy knew her husband enjoyed...

Octavia felt a slight tugging as she stared. The music was... different from what she knew. It was... powerful, emotional... beautiful. She cast a glance back at the others who simply returned it, their gazes practically telling her to move forward, to step up and investigate. With an unheard sigh, the cellist turned back to the door and approached it. She reached out and clasped the handle with a shaky hoof. Why? What could possibly be on the other side of this door that could spook her so easily, that she didn't even need to see it to be so uncertain?

Forcing her nervousness to the back of her mind, Octavia yanked the door open quickly, and was promptly blinded by a light from within the memory. She covered her eyes with a hoof, and waited for her them to adjust. After a moment the cellist felt she would be able to look, and slowly gazed about. She found herself somewhere unfamiliar like before.

Turning to observe her surroundings, the earth pony noticed trees about her, but they seemed shorter. She was in a small clearing almost, with a few of oaks scattered here and there behind her. In front of her was a massive oak that covered a large area. She looked down to find herself on a slanted, white floor. Stepping forward, she saw that she was on the ledge of something tall. Piecing it together, she realized she was on the roof of a small building. And the clearing was somepony's back yard.

She saw a large red... thing, standing in this yard, completely still. It seemed to be resting under some sort of outdoor shelter by the large oak. The yard itself went back about a half acre, with part of it fenced in, with dead plants inside that space. Perhaps it had once been a place for a garden? She breathed deeply and coughed as she did, strange gases in the air burning her throat. What was this place that seemed so otherworldly?

“Another starless night I see,” came a voice behind her, once she was starting to get acquainted with. She turned and saw Tory laying on the roof behind her, a strange instrument much like her cello beside him. “This town is so polluted, so dirty... The beautiful night sky is shielded by the harsh lights and gases of this retched place...”

Octavia sat down beside him, unsure of what he was talking about. Was this his home back where he was from? It seemed nice so far, minus whatever was in the air. Looking up at the sky, she gasped though, seeing no stars like the human had mentioned. Had Luna not put them into the sky tonight? Or was this place so far away from Equestria that it was rare for stars to be seen?

“Night like these, where I don't have a single person to call family, or a place to call my home...” Tory spoke aloud to no one in particular, evident that he was speaking to himself. “Just makes me want to... to leave it all behind. To just throw away this world I live in, to forget this plain, dull, and detestable life.”

The human grabbed his instrument and placed it on his lap sideways. Octavia perked her ears up at this strange way of playing an instrument so much like hers. Then she noticed something she had not before. This Tory, he was much taller, and unlike ponies, he had little extensions to his hooves. He grabbed the neck of the musical device, and applied his little digits to them weirdly.

Slowly, he strummed the instrument, playing a soft note on it. He let it ring out for a second before he played another one, then another. He slowly started to play a strange song, his eyes closed, hands performing everything so easily without his sight. He had evidently mastered this song, and now he was practically playing it for Octavia, like a personal show almost. It was a soft rhythmic piece, one filled with his heart...

“This time...” he sang quietly. “I wonder what it feels like... To find the one in this life.... The one we all dream of, but dreams just aren't enough. So I'll be waiting for the real thing.... I'll know it by the feeling... The moment when we're meeting... Will play out like a scene, straight off the silver screen. So I'll be holding my breath, right up til the end. Until that moment when, I find the one that I'll spend forever with!...”

Tory picked up the pace of the song, and a single tear fell from his eye. He let the notes ring out, clearly letting the song play in his own version. He strummed quickly then, and forced the next set of notes out. He spoke loudly, his voice echoing in the clearing almost like it was an auditorium.

~Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that!~

~Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there!~

Tory slowed down into the rhythmic pattern from before, opening his eyes and looking up at the empty expanse of night above. He shed a few more tears and Octavia nearly lost it herself. This song wasn't so much sad as it was... lonely. Those lyrics, they were almost like a gateway to the human's lonely heart. He bit his lip quickly, holding the sobs back, and continued to sing.

~Tonight, out on the street out in the moonlight
And dammit this feels too right
It's just like deja vu
Me standing here with you~

~So I'll be holding my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I'll spend forever with?!~

Tory entered the chorus from before, his voice ringing about the clearing. Octavia found herself crying with him, her heart feeling with his. She would've hugged him tightly if she could've. Instead she looked up at the sky with him, and listened to the song that he sang from his very being.

~Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that!~

~Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there!~

Finishing that verse once more, Tory slowed the song down considerably, playing softly now. He spoke fiercely though, his eyes showing... confidence? Octavia found herself staring at him closely, whatever it was in his eyes, it was powerful, and passionate.

~Oh you can't give up
When you're looking for the diamond in the rough
When it shows up, make sure you're holding on
cause it could be the one, the one you're waiting on.~

He stopped playing and let the last note ring out, echoing across the yard. It was a short second before he spoke once more, the sobs in his throat finally breaking free. The cellist was unable to hold back what little she could as well, and finally broke down beside the human. The lines he spoke just now were powerful indeed.

~Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me, OH!~

~Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there!~

~Nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there!~

Tory stopped his playing once more, finishing the song. He put the instrument down to his side and laid on his back. He crossed his arms behind his head and sighed once, one of defeat, sadness, and longing. Octavia knew what he was feeling, because that had been her at one point, long before she had met her closest friend, and learned just how skilled she was.

“There's... Gotta be somebody, right?” he asked, speaking to himself, but almost like he was asking the cellist beside him. “Maybe not here, maybe not anytime soon but... There has to be someone out there that I can love... that can love me...”

Almost as if they were in sync, the two looked up at the dark sky, black and empty. Yet they both gasped as one thing passed overhead... a shooting star. They both knew what it meant, and without missing a beat, both Tory and Octavia closed their eyes, bowed their heads, and brought their hands/hooves together.

“Let him find happiness,” the earth pony thought as loud as she could, praying with all her heart. “Grant him the one thing he desires most....”

"I don't want just any girl though..." Tory spoke up after a few seconds, still talking to himself. "I want someone I can truly love, and love me in return. Someone with a special inner beauty, that's smart, great to be around... Someone hat can truly accept me for who I am, flaws and everything..."

Octavia could sympathize with that desire as well. When she had tried dating, she found the stallions interested in her shared one common likeness... They didn't truly love HER. They liked the mare for her talent, her fame... They had merely used her, instead of loved her. And the few that actually seemed to care for the cellist were... Unacceptable to say the least. Often enough, they cared about her, but some were clingy, others were drunkards, a few were temperamental...

"Hm?" came the human's voice, catching the gray mare's attention. He looked in her direction and gazed directly into her eyes. "Is... Is someone there?... I could've sworn that..."

"Can you... See me?" Octavia asked quietly, blushing a bit.

"I... I guess this darkness is getting to me," Tory said after a few more seconds. "Perhaps I should go inside..."

The human stood up, grabbed his instrument, and made his way to the edge of the roof. He looked down, stepped back, and took a small leap over the edge. Octavia's heart nearly jumped into her throat when she saw his near suicidal move. She raced to the end of the roof and saw him land on what looked to be a trampoline. He bounced once, and went out at an angle, nearly gliding through the air. He flipped once, twice, and landed on his feet, buckling a second later.

"D-Damn, still need to perfect that," he grunted, holding his ankle.

The earth pony simply sighed in relief and looked down. She figured maybe that wasn't so bad if she was careful. Without getting some speed, Octavia jumped off the roof and landed square in the center of the trampoline, bouncing up once, and then managing to land right beside the human. He looked over at where he came from, where she had bounced off.

"O-Okay, that was freaky..." he stammered. "My trampoline just bounced o-on it's own..."

"Them you should see me, no?" Octavia asked him, tapping his leg once. She passed through, like usual.

"I... I must be getting delusional without my sleep," Tory concluded a second later, turning around and walking into his house quickly.

As he closed the door, Octavia stopped it with a hoof. It bounced back some, causing a loud scraping on the floor as it moved. The human turned around and saw it open once more. He nearly freaked as he came over. The cellist stepped in all the way and sighed. So she could interact with the environment in a memory, but not it's residents? That was VERY sound logic to her... Or maybe it had been the wish?

Getting an idea, the gray mare followed Tory into what she guessed was his living room. There were two couches, a coffee table, and a strange square object on another table against the opposite wall. A single lamp was on a smaller table by the two couches. The square object had moving pictures go about quickly, and it gave off sounds the cellist was not quite familiar with.

Walking over to the side, Octavia found what she was looking for, the instrument that the human had played. She extracted it from the case, and looked for a bow to play it with. She figured that it could also operate like a cello, so maybe some of her music would make Tory notice her.
She found nothing that could operate as a bow anywhere, and decided to simply hoof it, so to speak.

"I hope you can hear me Tory..." she whispered. "This is for you. Hear the notes that I play now, from within my heart..."

Octavia balanced the instrument like she would her cello, and played a few soft notes to familiarize herself with it's tuning. She glanced up to see the human staring at the square object, watching it closely. She smiled, knowing that either way, if she was heard or not, then at least she could say she tried. Plucking a few strings strongly, the cellist began her newest song, one that would hopefully send a message out.

The notes echoed about the room, and everything went silent. The strange object that held the human's attention before no longer did so. Instead his gaze was directed at her, his piercing blue eyes focused on the instrument she held. Octavia gave a small smile again and started playing once more. She frowned as she realized this instrument could not be played like her cello.

"Perhaps it was meant only for the way that Tory played it," the cellist thought aloud to herself. "I hope this still sounds acceptable to him..."

Turning the instrument on it's side, Octavia began to strum it, getting a feel for the tuning. While played differently, it seemed the tuning was the same at least. She held down the same chords she knew and strummed slowly, confirming her theory. She looked over at Tory, who seemed to be stunned. She giggled with a slight blush. The face he was making was just... It was adorable really.

The cellist started up her song once more, trying her hardest to play an instrument she was only partially familiar with. For the most part it worked. The notes came out like she hoped they would. She kept the same slow tempo throughout the whole piece, her heart guiding each and every strum of the hoof, each note she played. The song sounded so beautiful to her.

Tory simply sat there, his eyes glued not on the instrument now, but on her. His face was one of complete shock. His blue eyes locked with Octavia's, and for a second she thought that perhaps he could see her. She broke away after a few seconds, knowing that if she kept staring, she would never finish this song. She strummed a few more times and let the last note echo about the house. When she finished, the only sound that could be heard was the rapid beating of her heart.

"That... Was beautiful," Tory whispered, a few tears in his eyes. "A masterpiece, created by the one and only Octavia Von Clef."

...What? The cellist perked up her ears and looked at the human before her. He had this large smile upon his face, and his eyes were not on the instrument she held, but on her. Tory stood up and began to clap quietly, his gaze never leaving hers. Was this right, or even possible? How was it that he was able to see her now? A few minutes ago he had no idea she was even there and now...

"H-How is that you... Are able to see me now?" Octavia asked calmly.

"Good question," he shrugged, walking over. "Your guess is as good as mine, but I don't really care about that right now... At the moment, you have my attention."

The cellist could not help but blush deeper when he said that. She put a hoof to her chest, feeling her heart beat a mile a minute. Tory sat down beside her, resting an arm on a bent knee and placing his weight on the other which pushed off the floor behind him. She guessed it was supposed to be a 'cool guy' pose.

“Can I ask you something?” he spoke once more, looking at her. “Is this really happening? Am I actually sitting right beside you, Octavia Von Clef, the best musician to grace Equestria?”

“Indeed you are,” the cellist giggled. “And let me assure you, this is no dream Tory.”

“You know my name as well...” he whispered. “But... how... why...”

“I cannot tell you, nor would I be able to explain it really,” the earth pony sighed. “But I can tell you one thing... you are a lucky one, to love and be loved by them...”

“Them?” Tory asked once more, confused.

“You'll see...” Octavia answered plainly. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed in content. “For the moment though... please let me be happy...”

The human tensed up, but he did not pull away or push her back. Instead, he brought his arm up and gently stroked her mane, eliciting a soft giggle from her. Octavia could not feel more happy at that moment than she ever had before. The way he caressed her... it felt not good, but exceptional. It was like a massage meant only for her.

“I do not know who you meant by 'Them', but I don't really care now,” Tory whispered into her ear. “I think I'd rather have you instead...”

As before, this caused Octavia to blush, but one that was deep enough to turn her neck red. She reached up and planted a gentle kiss on the human's cheek, which in turn made his face burn a bright crimson. The cellist looked into his blue eyes and wished this moment would never end.

“Tory... I wish to say this but I cannot,” the mare started. “The words leave me now when I need them most. Were it as easy as my mind perceives it, perhaps things would be much different... for both of us.”

“Whatever you have to say, I'll listen,” the human smiled at her, holding her close to him. “I'll not judge you for whatever you wish to tell me.”

“Thank you...” she began, sitting up and directing her gaze to her hooves. “Perhaps it would be easier for me to start by saying that I know of somepony, and for them I fell... We had met only once, and after parting, it was then I realized that these strange emotions I contained were ones of desire and love... I strove to find him and as a result, I learned that he was not who I knew him as. His name, appearance, nay his very form was a ruse to all that did not know him. I sought answers, and in doing so I learned that I still cared for him, for the one I still love...”

Tory didn't speak, yet his gaze never left Octavia. She could feel him staring, and it burned uncomfortably against her mane that shielded her eyes from his. The fire she felt didn't hurt, but it was not pleasant either. The cellist sighed, realizing that now she had no choice but to say it, to confess to him. She could not back out now, and even if she could, the mare would always kick herself for doing so.

“I eventually found him,” Octavia continued. “Yet he couldn't see me at all, though I sat at his side. He seemed so lonely, and I could do nothing about it until a bright star came over us. We wished, and suddenly that started to change... Perhaps it is for the best now, as he can see me, and I can do this...”

Before Tory had a chance to react to her words, the gray mare reached up and pressed her lips to his. It was a quick kiss, nothing truly serious, but it spoke more words than either of them could on their own. Slowly, Octavia retracted, and she saw the most obvious of blushes on his face. She giggled at how innocent her newly found love could be.

“Now my music can soar on wings of silver,” she whispered into his ear. “And our love can be true...”

“I-I... Erm,” Tory stammered, unsure of how to reply.

“If anything was more cute than you being flustered, I'd rather not see it,” the cellist teased. “I love you Tory...”

The human started to say something back, but his words came on deaf ears. Octavia found that all sound has left, and her sight was slowly going gray. It took her but a moment to realize that she was being pulled out of the memory, and back to the corridor. She tried to cling to Tory, to stay there, but like before she phased through him. There was nothing the cellist could do as everything went black for a moment, and she opened her eyes to find herself back within the dark corridor of memories with the girls and Shadow Breeze. Luna came forward and rested a hoof on her shoulder.

“...Okay,” the dark alicorn started, a genuine smile on her face, and tears in her eyes. “I believe you now... You do truly love him...”

"I... I do not understand," Octavia commented, looking between each of them, for they all wore the same knowing smile. "Would you be willing to explain?"

"That was a special memory" Shadow Breeze started, motioning to the doorway she had entered. "It is one I like to call a Shadow Memory. Simply put, when inside one, a strange event can take place where whoever is watching it can alter gains some control over what goes on. Initially, entering a memory only grants one the ability to view it, but some memories have a special... Connection if you will. While that connection varies, the result is always the same. The holder of the memory and the viewer are able to connect on a deep emotional level, the shooting star in your case, allowing for personal interaction."

"So I... Changed the memory?" the cellist questioned.

"Not really," the deep gray pegasus continued. "I call it a Shadow Memory for a reason. What happened in there cannot be altered permanently, but what it really does is clone the memory and allow the changes to be stored there. If you turn around, you can see a second door hiding behind the first..."

Doing as he said, Octavia turned and looked behind the doorway. Indeed there was a second door now, and it looked the same except for the faded color to it and now it also held one new detail, her cutie mark. She looked back at the group and smiled. So at least what she had done would not be forgotten, not anytime soon.

"Am I right to presume each of you saw what occurred within the memory?" Octavia asked.

"Big time," Rainbow nodded.

"It was adorable," Fluttershy smiled.

"And enlightening," Luna finished for them. "As Shadow said, you were only able to make this new memory by connecting with Tory emotionally. Since you were able to do that... I can recognize you as a true lover of his... You have proven yourself to me, Octavia Von Clef."

The cellist smiled, tears in her eyes once more. She had finally earned the dark alicorn's trust, and hopefully the affection of the human she now cared for. Fluttershy and Rainbow came over, pulling the new mare in for a group hug. She happily accepted the form of endearment, and returned it. A warm feeling surfaced deep inside her, and Octavia smiled. So this was what it was like, to have ponies that truly cared...

"It is good to see such closeness," Luna commented, joining in a second later. "It will help us when we are at our weakest. I know that I can trust each of you with my life."

"E-Erm, maybe we should get... M-moving," Shadow stammered from nearby.

The girls and their new sister turned to see the deep gray pegasus gasping for air, leaning heavily against a door. His brow was drenched in sweat, and his eyes were half closed. He looked so exhausted, like he was about lose consciousness. The girls rushed over to him and picked him up quickly, gently putting him on their backs. They cast a worried look up at him before glancing at each other.

"S-Sorry," Shadow apologized weakly. "I... N-normally do not... Have this many... P-Ponies with me for... So long."

"You mean you've been running yourself ragged for our sakes?" Octavia asked worriedly.

"... Yes," he replied quietly. "My powers r-require... a lot of attention and energy, the l-latter of which... is being used m-more for everypony in here... I can't... Do this m-much... Longer."

"Then get us out of here!" Rainbow spoke up quickly. "We can come back later, when you aren't dying from this!"

"Yes, this isn't right," Fluttershy agreed with a curt nod. "Friends shouldn't cause each other to be like this."

"B-But if we leave now..." Shadow started to protest.

"No buts," Luna stopped him. "If this is hurting you, it would only be right to leave and come back another time."

"We... Can't," the deep gray pegasus finished. "Entry into minds... C-Can only be... D-Done once."

"So... We can't come back again," Octavia concluded for him. "Meaning if we leave now, that will be the end of it."

"Exactly..." Shadow gasped. "B-Besides... We're almost t-there... Up ahead... That l-light..."

Pointing a hoof farther down the corridor, the girls turned and saw a faded white light in the distance. Holding back their excitement, they calmly walked towards it, their attention divided between their lover who was just ahead, and their friend who was killing himself so they could be here. Hearing the panting on their backs get heavier, they quickened their pace some.

Each step the group took made the light brighter, made it larger in size. They kept their pace the same though, trying to keep their bodies even so Shadow would not be jostled about when they moved. As they got closer to the light, it grew even brighter still, and a slight humming sound could be heard. The girls slowed the pace now, and cast a worried glance at each other.

"We're... Almost there," Luna whispered to them. She gulped once and grit her teeth.

"Like Tory said in the Cloister," Rainbow began. "Sometimes you just gotta grit your teeth and get things over with. Lets... Let's go."

Though they all agreed with her, and they wanted to continue on, their bodies would not respond. Though they wished to continue forward, something inside them said they shouldn't. Shadow shifted about on their backs, and positioned his head near their so he could speak with them easier. His voice was quiet, reminding them that he was weakening himself so they could see Tory.

"H-He's... Right there," the deep gray pegasus gasped. "Just beyond th-that light... Is your lover..."

Octavia was the first to respond. She gave the others a curt nod and raised a hoof to step forward. Fluttershy was second to do so, followed by Rainbow and lastly Luna. They planted their hooves down and forward, stepping in unison. Slowly, the girls went forward into the now blinding light. It engulfed them, absolute white on all sides. They continued forward without hesitation, knowing that whatever they encountered, they faced together as a family.

Slowly, the blinding white gave way to color. After a few seconds, the group found themselves within a massive, circular, silver room, a large metallic object in the center. It had what looked like a glass tube that was easily the width of two ponies and the height of twenty. At the base a small silhouette could be seen. It looked to be a large pony, an alicorn by the shape of it.

"It seems each of you has arrived," a voice similar to Tory's spoke up, grabbing their attention. "This is good news. Fluttershy, his first love and the kindest pegasus to grace Equestria... Rainbow Dash, the most loyal of ponies to exist, and the one to keep his heart alive in times of crisis... Luna, the majestic Princess with a playful attitude and the one to guide him when others cannot... Lastly, Octavia Von Clef, the mare of unbound musical talent, and the only pony that can truly understand him... You four are his saving graces, and as you have needed him before, he now needs you."

Approaching the group, the girls were able to identify the alicorn that greeted them. He was a deep green, with a deep brown mane that spiked out everywhere, like the two tails that flowed out behind him. He had blue eyes that shone like the purest of seas, and he smelled strongly of pine trees. His chest and hooves were adorned with a shining suit of golden armor, also spiked out. He bore a gentle smile though, his expression one that spoke of his happiness to see the girls.

“And, you are?” Octavia questioned, casting a suspicious glance at the alicorn.

“Two-Tail,” Luna answered for him. “He was reborn as Tory, but it seems the human's consciousness remained intact, causing him to go into the subconsciousness of our lover. His personality will be much like Tory's but... more crude.”

“Oh, that hurts Luna,” the deep green alicorn said in a faux-pained voice. “And here I thought you still loved me...”

“Were it not that I love Tory now, I would still care for you Split Ends,” she replied.

“Um... So this is who was on that statue in the Cloister?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah that was me,” Tails smirked. “An impressive piece, made by the beautiful Princess.”

“Okay, what are you doing here Two-Tail?” the dark alicorn blandly questioned.

“I'm part of Tory's mind,” he responded. “When your lover relived my last memory, he nearly bit the dust, and I barely managed to pull him out in t-”

“YOU DID THIS TO HIM?!!” Rainbow Dash shouted into his face.

Everypony went silent for a few seconds as they looked between the now aggressive pegasus that Tory loved, and the alicorn that wore a calm expression all the while. The two locked eyes, and neither missed the slight flinch Rainbow gave when Tail's shifted about. Though not magically adept, she could feel the waves of pure magic radiating off of his body, like all the rest could.

“I tried to save him from it,” Two-Tail countered calmly.

“Then why is he like this, huh?!” Rainbow shot back angrily. “If you saved him, he'd be fine, wouldn't he?!”

“Not if the memory he relived was one where he HAD to die...” Luna finished, grabbing everypony's attention. “He... relived that night, d-didn't he?”

“Yes, I'm sorry,” the deep green alicorn nodded. “Me and him made a deal on your wedding day and he... well he went through with it, not even hesitating once... You three have a good husband.”

“We know,” Fluttershy smiled. “But it seems you forgot somepony...”

“I did?”

“Octavia, of course,” the golden pegasus nodded, looking at the cellist. “She's a part of our family too, even if Tory doesn't realize it yet.”

“Oh right, I apologize,” the deep green alicorn bowed to the gray mare. “I am not entirely used to you yet, so please forgive me if I accidentally exclude you...”

“I'll not hold it against you,” Octavia smiled softly. “I understand.”

“This is all well and good but, where's Tory?” Rainbow broke in.

With a sigh, Tails stepped to the side and pointed a hoof at the large tube that occupied the center of the room. He started for it, and the group followed slowly, careful about Shadow who was still weak from the entire journey. They managed to reach it after a minute, and upon seeing the contents inside, the girls all gasped loudly.

Floating within the tube, was Tory, his body a mess of wounds and dried blood. But though he seemed dead, his expression was one of peace, his eyes closed and a slight smile upon his face. Looking at him, each of the girls teared up, Fluttershy losing it almost immediately. Shadow simply bowed his head in respect.

“He isn't dead, but he's near it,” Tails told them. “Like I said, I was barely able to pull him from the memory in time. He won't be able to do much for a short time though. These wounds are serious, far more than my own had been. I'd give an estimation, but I can't read the screen at the base of this thing. The symbols are a complete mystery to me.”

Luna walked over and investigated the letters and numbers the strange device showed. She studied it closely, but like the other alicorn, could not make heads or tails of it. She looked back at the others and shook her head. Octavia then came over and squinted her eyes. She remained silent for a moment before getting an idea, to which she smiled and spoke softly.

“I've got it,” she whispered. “Simply transpose the letters here, cross out the first and fifth letter in the pattern, and then space it right... Yes, I can read this now.”

“H-How did...” the deep green alicorn stammered.

“I took classes on decoding and ciphers while in my music academy,” Octavia explained. “I excelled at my instrument so quickly, they replaced one of my lower classes with basic military techniques. I told them I'd never use it, but evidently, I was wrong.”

“Why did a music school even have a class like that?” Rainbow asked.

“Our academy was located right beside the training barracks for the Equestrian Infantry,” the cellist answered. “Since I refused to learn any other instrument besides my own, they could not enroll me in any other classes, so I was given a choice between a military class, or take a remedial lesson in music appreciation, something I had already learned... But that is beside the point now.”

“A-Agreed,” Shadow panted.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot about you,” Tails said, glancing at the deep gray pegasus. “Come over here, I can lend you a little power for your stay.”

“Really?” Luna asked.

“Just a little gift for you, since you came all this way,” the deep green alicorn smiled. “Besides, I feel that with you here, Tory might be able to at least awaken sometime soon...”

Shadow Breeze lowered himself to the floor, and slowly stumbled over to Two-Tail. The alicorn rested a wing on his shoulder, and a tinge of deep green could be seen traveling to the pegasus' body. After a few seconds, the exhausted look in his eyes dwindled until it was gone. Standing up quickly, Shadow smiled and stretched, feeling good as new.

“Wow, thanks!” he grinned. “I feel like a brand new stallion!”

“Does that mean we can stay longer?” Rainbow boldly asked, looking between him and her lover.

“Of course!” Shadow nodded vigorously. “We can stay as long as our gracious host will allow us!”

“Stay as long as you like,” Two-Tail smiled. “It might be boring, but I'm sure Tory would appreciate the company, even if he can't see, hear, or anything at the moment...”

The girls and Shadow sat down, getting comfortable. They started to talk about random things, not sure how long they'd be here. Casting a warm glance at Tory very frequently, they all relaxed and prepared for a long... Long stay...

I.I.I Three Minutes Prior I.I.I

“Okay Tavi' this isn't funny anymore,” Vinyl whispered, her eyes starting to water up. “Please talk to me...”

After her friend bumped into Princess Luna, the white unicorn had been trying to get Octavia to respond in some way. She just stood there, eyes closed and ignoring everything around her, like with the other four in the room. Vinyl didn't like it at all. This was starting to scare her now. Why was the cellist acting like this so suddenly?

“Please... just say something...” the unicorn begged quietly.

“Hey, we heard a commotion!” came the voice of Twilight Sparkle from the door. “What happ-... Oh.”

Turning around, Vinyl showed the purple unicorn and all the others that had arrived her tears and her friend that refused to do anything. The red pegasus, the gray-ish pegasus, and two more unicorns came in behind Twilight, each of them curious to see what made their friend go silent so quickly. They noticed Octavia, and came over quickly.

“She's fine Vinyl,” the purple unicorn told her calmly. “She can't hear you because she's... asleep. Right now, she and all the others there are in Tory's mind. They can't hear, see, or feel anything right now. But don't worry, she's not in danger or anything.”

“H-How do you know?” the white one asked, unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

“See that deep gray pegasus there?” Twilight started. “He told us. He promised that our friends would be fine, so that means Octavia is too.”

“I... I hope so...” Vinyl replied, wiping the tears away and trying to gather herself together. “We've gotta find Silverwing soon, or else I'm worried 'bout how Tavi' will react...”

“Did... Did you say Silverwing?” Ditzy asked. “But... that's...”

“What is it?” the white unicorn questioned. “Do ya know something...”

“Erm... we'll tell you when they wake up,” Raven answered. “Better to only explain it once.”

“Alright... Hey, where did you all go anyways?”

“To the roof, with some REAL privacy,” Trixie commented, flipping her mane some. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wished to inform Twilight and her companions of something great importance.”

“Yes, and we thank you for telling us,” Twilight nodded at her.

“Well while you were gone, some jerks came by and tried to rough us up!” Vinyl rounded on them. “You were lucky I've been in a few brawls before!”

“I apologize, those were my colleagues,” the blue unicorn replied.

“Wait, they came here... after you took us away?” the auburn pegasus started, getting in her face with a glare.

“Yes, and Trixie would appreciate it if you would kindly step back.”

“You brought them here!” the white unicorn finished. “I'm so gonna enjoy bashing your head in!”

Vinyl started towards Trixie, her horn glowing. The blue unicorn turned, sighed, and sat there, doing nothing. This only served to rile up her attacker even more. She was about to grab the mare with her magic and throw her out the window, like she did with that one pegasus, but before she got the chance, Twilight intervened.

“Enough!” she shouted. “Now is not the time for accusations or fights amongst ourselves. Vinyl, I know you might want to hurt her, but she told us something that could really help against Discord. While we haven't just given our trust to her yet, we're giving her a chance to prove herself. Would you please calm down... Please?”

“Rgh... Fine,” Vinyl gave in with a growl. “But if she makes one wrong move...”

“Trixie assures you, she will not,” the showpony promised. “Trixie will uphold her promise to assist Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”

“Oh really now?” came a snobby voice from the doorway.

Everypony turned to see three pegasi wearing labcoats. Trixie took a battle stance, as did Vinyl. Twilight and the others glared at the intruders. It seemed that one of them, the leader, had taken a slight beating earlier, proven by the massive bruises that littered his face. Yet still, he and his cronies grinned madly.

“If it isn't Dumbbell, Hoops, and Score,” Twilight said, her voice full of disdain. “Didn't learn your lesson from last time?”

“Oh we learned alright,” Dumbbell laughed. “Yeah, we won't underestimate anypony anytime soon. And Discord gave us the powers to do just that...”

“Discord!” Twilight hissed. “You're working for that tyrannical sociopath?!”

“Hey, don't use words bigger than we know!” Hoops snapped.

“Enough!” Trixie broke in. “Now is not the time for fighting! You three, leave now!”

“As if, traitor!” the leader countered. “We're gonna do like the Boss said, and take care of those ponies over there, even if we have to go through all of you! Then we're killing that human thing in that bed...”

At this point, all of them had taken a battle position between the intruders and Tory. Four unicorns, and two pegasi, against three pegasi. The odds seemed perfect, or so things seemed at first. Their leader stepped forward and a dark shroud faded into existence over him. His body vanished, and suddenly Raven was sent flying towards a wall. He hit against it and groaned.

“Raven!” Ditzy cried, before she too was mysteriously sent back as well.

“What did he do?” Twilight asked, forming a small barrier around her and the other unicorns.

“The power Discord gave him was an invisibility skill,” Trixie explained, her portion of the barrier cracking once. She didn't even flinch. “...Oh, and made him stronger than normal...”

“Yeah, and that isn't all we got!” Dumbbell laughed. “Score, show 'em what you can do!”

In response, the short and stocky one came forward. He grinned, and lashed out at the barrier Twilight made. It shattered instantly, almost like the hoof had passed through air. Twilight fell back from the sudden impact of her magic canceling out. Vinyl stepped forward and lifted the chubby brute into the air with her magic, but that was quickly vanquished by Score breaking through the magic and punching her like nothing had happened.

“Ya see, Boss gave us enough to take out all of you since he discovered the traitorous little... bitch here,” Dumbbell laughed, slapping Trixie to the floor when he cursed at her. “Me, I got to turn invisible, and a major strength boost to out muscle anypony. Score, he cancels magic now, so unicorns can't do anything against us. And Hoops, he knows the anatomy of pegasi so well, he could break their wings without even trying. That last one might not seem so bad, if he didn't get a speed boost to make him lighting quick. Poor little Rainbow Crash is like a snail to him!”

Dumbbel picked up Twilight by her mane, and smirked as he saw the light leave her eyes. That was his new thing now, to see them when they accepted defeat. It made him feel powerful, more so than Discord, but he would never admit it aloud. He felt in complete control the moment that anypony just gave up. And each time, the brutish pegasus grew more cocky.

“And there it is,” he laughed. “You're weaker than Clutzershy! Oh, if only that one human was here to see this happen to you... I'd like to see the look on his face...”

At that exact moment, a bright light emerged from the floor. Three glowing circles of white appeared under the hooves of the intruders, all bearing a powerful emblem that none of them recognized. It forced each of them together, and their hooves were encased in a dark, solid block of what looked like obsidian.

“Wow, what spell was that Trixie?” Twilight asked.

“Th-That wasn't Trixie...” the blue showpony stammered, her face turned around to the bed.

“That's my obsidian seal,” an all too familiar voice said behind the purple unicorn. “Just a little something I learned recently...”

Twilight couldn't believe her ears just then. That voice it... It was... She turned around, and sure enough, he was there. His blue eyes glowed silver, as did his outstretched hand. His light brown hair was shifting about in a breeze that wasn't there. And the anger in his eyes when he looked at the intruders... This was most definitely Tory!

“I take a dirt nap, and it's broken up by THIS?” the human asked, his voice angry, yet not serious. “I hope you three are ready to face the consequences... Because I'm about to send you to the moon...”

Training

'Training'

Silence permeated the air about the now cramped hospital room. At the doorway, three pegasi were cowering, sniveling even, unable to move with their hooves held in place by large blocks of obsidian. At the other end, where the bed was, the human sat there, his eyes holding a fierce glare at them, his hand glowing silver, his hair flowing about like he was an alicorn. Then there were the ponies off to the side. Five pegasi, three unicorns, one earth pony, and an alicorn. The tension was so great, it seemed like the smallest of sounds would set this off and somepony would cease to exist...

"I know you three," Tory eventually said. His voice seemed... Different. "I guess being shown up by my wife wasn't enough. Now look at you, ready to piss yourselves, practically begging for mercy."

"W-We don't beg," Hoops countered, his voice breaking. "Score.. D-Do that thing... Quick."

Raising a still free hoof, the shortest of the brutish pegasi aimed and slammed down on the obsidian block below him. He pulled back a second later with a roar of pain. Evidently, his new power to dispel magic was useless here. Dumbbell tried to break free with his boosted strength, but the blocks below him would not give, no matter what he did.

"You can't get free of this seal," Tory smirked. "That circle below you nulls all powers you posses. You three are just normal pegasi now."

The human got up and stretched slowly. Fluttershy could only stare as she noticed yet another difference. Her lover's body had changed dramatically, his muscles larger, his hair longer, and instead of the usual air of confidence about him, there was this feeling of restrained power. His skin looked a slight shade darker, and for a second she was able to see some strange marking on his left shoulder. The shirt sleeve covered it back up before she could identify it though.

The golden pegasus looked up at his face, and then bit back a gasp as she saw something in his eyes. They not only glowed silver, but underneath that she noticed all of the emotions he could feel at the moment. Sadness, regret, longing, passion... Anger. It seemed like he was fighting for control of his own emotions. Fluttershy wished to hug him, but her body refused to move.

"T-Tory..." Rainbow whispered, her voice so quiet that it was almost inaudible.

"Hey Rainbow," he smiled, planting a soft kiss between her eyes. "Sorry I didn't get to say anything a minute ago, I heard the ruckus out here and I felt obligated to do my part."

"You're... Awake," Luna said, tears in her eyes.

"And I'm not going anywhere," he replied, bringing a hand up and stroking her mane gently. "I promise I'll be with you four always... I love you all."

Turning his attention back to the intruders, Tory raised a hand. It glowed a dark silver before a familiar golden blade with a pink hilt appeared within. He grabbed the broadsword and held it firmly. The blade also seemed to have change. Raven Smite looked upon it to find the hilt was adorned with a diamond in the center, and along the length of the weapon there was a long strip of ruby that pulsed weakly. The blade was radiating with power, almost as much as the owner did.

"You three work for him," Tory continued at the brutes. "That I cannot allow. I'll be sure to make this quick for each of you."

The entire room glowed white for a second. Everypony was blinded quickly, save for the human. When the light vanished, they all noticed the scenery had changed. Instead of the hospital room, the area about looked to be an empty field, the moon shining brightly above. A teleportation spell, with so many ponies, so quickly and smoothly? That was a feat for even a small group of unicorns talented at the particular spell!

"Where are we?" Twilight asked.

"The hill outside of Ponyville," Tory answered, pointing to the town just a small distance away. "Where I can rid us of these pests."

"Wh-What are you gonna do?" Dumbbell stammered, fear and defiance in his voice.

"Nothing, just make you three learn your place," the human replied.

Taking the hilt of his blade in both hands, Tory rushed forward and was almost instantly upon them. The human kicked Score into the air, and before the pegasus had a chance to react, his wings were sliced off, causing him to scream in absolute pain. His attacker hadn't even moved from his place on the ground. Rainbow gasped as she watched. His speed was... It was faster than most would ever see!

Rainbow was the best when it came to speed. She made it her goal in life to be the fastest, to know speed, breathe speed, to live it. So when her husband had rushed forward, she had followed him, to a degree. She had seen most of the attack. He had charged, kicked, and this is where it got hazy for her. Before the kick had been completed, Tory had brought his blade up, slashed the wings off in one fluid strike that she almost missed, and then spun, landing an uppercut while returning to his initial kick to add the last bit of force.

"Woah, that's fast," she whispered.

But not satisfied, Tory grabbed Hoops and spun, causing him to crash right into Dumbbell. The two pegasi fell back and in the swiftest of motions, had their own wings cut off by the same being, who came out of nowhere from the side. His golden sword shined silver in the moonlight, and not a speck of blood from the attacks could be seen on it's magnificent blade. His attacks were faster than even Rainbow could see. The rainbow-haired mare was afraid to blink, knowing she would miss so much if she did.

"Hmph," Tory started, his voice calm. "You three were a waste of time."

"Agh," Dumbbell moaned, to weak to cry out fully. "M-My... My wings..."

"Are gone, and will never heal," the human finished. "I severed every single nerve and implanted my own magic to seal them off. You'll never fly again."

"T-Tory..." Fluttershy whispered, mortified at the onslaught.

"Now then..." he continued, sheathing his blade slowly. "Return to your boss and tell him that his days are numbered. I'll come for his head soon..."

The human turned around and walked back to his friends. His gaze softened, and the silver glow vanished quickly. He looked over at his wives and they slowly approached him, something between fear and awe on their faces. He frowned when he noticed that, and sighed quietly. He had anticipated this reaction to his sudden change, but that did not make it any less painful to see his lovers afraid of him.

"I know I must seem bad," he started, taking a seat a short distance from them to not cause any intimidation. "But please believe me when I say, I'm still the same Tory. I would never, not in a million lives, cause any harm to you. My love for each of you remains, despite my strength, my speed, or how I look. Fluttershy, Luna, Rainbow Dash... You still have my heart in your hooves."

Not sure what to think Luna came forward. She stepped up to Tory, got down to his height, and gazed into his eyes, the deep pools of blue now a stark, bright azure. He looked at her without a word, praying that whatever she looked for would be proof enough that he was still the same. After what seemed like year of silence, or perhaps it had been merely a moment, Luna gasped and tackle hugged the human. She decorated his face with light kisses, earning a laugh and a kiss back.

"You jerk!" she scolded playfully, lightly punching his arm. "You made us worry! We were scared to death!"

"I'm so sorry Angel," Tory apologized, pulling her in for a tight and loving hug. "I wanted to come back immediately, but he wouldn't let me. He said I had to finish training first..."

"Training?" Rainbow asked, coming over as well.

"There she is, the madness to my method!" her lover smiled widely, lifting her onto his lap and pushing his lips to meet hers for a kiss that warmed both their hearts. "I missed that rainbow mane and that daring attitude of yours!"

Rainbow Dash blushed and gave Tory a light hug, stepping back so he could greet his first lover, and the one she knew that he cared the most for. Yet as she looked over, the pegasus noticed Fluttershy had not moved from her spot. The look in her eyes held so much fear of him. Rainbow was afraid the golden mare would flee if he moved to her.

"F-Fluttershy," Tory whispered, his eyes sad. "I swear upon everything I am, this is still me. I haven't changed, I promise..."

"Leave her alone," Shadow stepped in, getting between them. "Can't you see she's afraid?"

"Shadow, what are you doing?" Rainbow Dash stepped up to him.

"I can see that she doesn't like him," the deep gray pegasus responded. "If he tries anything, I'm going to protect her."

"I... Do you really..." Tory trailed off, unable to form a coherent thought now. His eyes started to water up. "Am I so scary? I..."

"Fluttershy, you can't be afraid of him!" Luna argued. "Think! What about all those memories you two shared? What about in the corridor? Surely you know that has nothing but love for you!"

Fluttershy remained silent, her eyes down at her hooves, her body shaking. Shadow continued to glare at Tory, who was unable to act, though Rainbow and Luna tried to bring him back up. Twilight and the rest of them could only watch as this entire scene unfolded before them. It was a minute before the silence was broken, and Fluttershy spoke up.

"I... I'm not afraid of you," she started, looking up. "I'm afraid of what you became. Those things you did, your looks... It's all so... Wrong. I loved the kind, gentle Tory. Not this dark, hurtful one..."

"I... I..." was all he could say in response.

Everypony was shocked to hear this from her, the most loving, caring, and trusting of them all. She had the most faith in Tory from the very beginning, yet now she had none? Did he really seem so... So bad to her? Rainbow shook her head free of these thoughts and came over to Fluttershy. Raising a hoof, she slapped the mare across the face with a very angry face.

"Dark? Hurtful?" the rainbow-haired pegasus started, her voice rising. "You think that Tory is any of those things?! I can't believe you! He was ready to die just to hold you in his arms!!! Remember what his cutie mark is? It's a golden shield with a pink heart! Meaning his talent is to love and protect YOU! Not me, not Luna, and not anypony else! YOU! Do you think he wants to hurt anypony? Do you think he likes fighting?!"

"Rainbow," Tory started. "You don't have to-"

"Oh but I do!" she cut him off. "Fluttershy, think back to every memory you and Tory shared. You know in your heart he is good! He still loves you like he always has! He doesn't want to fight either, but he does, and you know why? So he can protect you! He fights so that you can be happy!"

"Stop it!" Fluttershy cried, turning away. "I... Please, just stop."

"I think perhaps something is wrong with YOU, Fluttershy." Octavia challenged, entering the conversation for the first time. She stepped over to Tory and nuzzled him lightly. "I see the love in his eyes, and the hurt that your words inflict upon him. Look, look at this face, those eyes, and tell me that this is someone else, that this is not the one you fell in love with."

"O-Octavia..." Fluttershy whispered, casting a sad look at the cellist.

Working up her nerves, the golden pegasus looked into Tory's eyes, deep blue into pure azure. They held their gaze on each other for minutes, not a word said between anypony. Tears formed in Fluttershy's eyes eventually, and she came forward. She rushed up to the human, and pinned him down, planting the deepest of kisses upon him. The smile she wore was not lost to any of them, especially not the one she was kissing.

"Oh, how could I be so mean?!" she cried into his chest, wrapping her hooves around him. "I was so scared of how you changed, I... I didn't want to believe it was you! I feel so bad about this!"

"It's okay, my Golden Dove," Tory whispered into her ear, stroking her mane gently all the while. "I understand. We are together, and that's what matters..."

"Yes," Rainbow nodded, joining the hug.

"Of course," Luna agreed, getting in as well.

"Quite," Octavia smiled, watching them.

"... Why are you standing there," Rainbow asked, her expression one of confusion.

"Pardon?" the cellist responded, using the same tone.

"You're a part of this family too," Luna smiled.

"She is?" Tory blinked.

"Oh don't lie to us Tory," Fluttershy giggled, her happy self once more now that she knew her husband was the same. "We know you love Octavia.~"

This earned a soft blush from both the human and the cellist. She smiled and came over, reluctantly joining the group hug. The gray mare was enveloped in hooves, fur, and the smiles of the ones around her. She sighed happily, and opened her eyes to see pure azure eyes looking back. Tory smiled, leaned in, and kissed Octavia lightly. The blush she gained made his grin even larger, and she couldn't help but return it.

"So now our music will soar on wings of silver, am I right?" Tory asked, his voice playful.

"Y-Yes," the mare stammered, unable to contain the happiness she felt within.

In an instant, Octavia had closed the distance between their faces, and kissed him more passionately than ever before. She didn't know what fueled such a motion, but she didn't care, because she had someone to love now. No longer would she be alone, like she always felt. Now, her soul could find happiness in the company of this human, and his other wives.

"I take it that you want to join our little family?" Tory asked, breaking the cellist out of her musings.

"I-I... Am I permitted to?" Octavia stammered, looking at each of them.

"Of course!" Luna smiled.

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow joined in.

"We'd be happy to let you," Fluttershy nodded.

"Happy? No, I'd love it if you would..." Tory finished, embracing her.

"Th-Then... Yes, I would be delighted to!" the cellist beamed at each of them.

"Heh, then I guess another wedding is in order," the human smiled. "But this time... It'll be just those close to us."

"I'd like that... Very much," Octavia blushed.

Once more they all hugged, but this time the focus was around Tory and the cellist, instead of evenly spread out. The two new lovers held each other close and smiled, azure eyes gazing into amethyst. The outside group just smiled as they watched the while thing. Vinyl herself felt the happiest at seeing her friend so content. She knew this was right...

"U-Um Tory," Fluttershy whispered into his ear. "I um... H-have something to tell you... Something important... And p-private."

"... Alright Fluttershy," he nodded, looking at the other girls. They understood and walked over to their friends. "So, what's bothering you? Is it still about this new me?"

"N-No I..." the golden pegasus stammered. She looked down at her hooves. "I just... Well I... Found out..."

"Yes?" Tory pressed, his face showing concern for his wife. She hadn't stuttered like this in forever now.

"R-Remember what we... We um..." Fluttershy tried again. She shuffled her hooves and blushed. "What h-happened in the... Gardens?"

"The Gardens... Oh yes, our wedding night," he nodded, smiling and kissing her.

"Well..." she pointed a hoof down at her stomach.

Tory was wondering what she meant exactly by that. He looked from her blush to her stomach, and slowly it started to dawn on him. The deepest of blushes formed on his cheeks. He could feel the redness grow hot with each second. His smile faltered for a second, but then grew much wider. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly hugged Fluttershy to him.

"YOU'RE KIDDING ME?!" he shouted. "You mean that I... That you... WE... Are going to-"

"Yes," the golden pegasus whispered, placing a hoof over his mouth to silence him. "You're going to be a father..."

She kissed him softly, and he returned the motion happily. He wrapped the mare in his wings, caressing her mane. Fluttershy giggled in his embrace, and snuggled into his chest, content once more. Things felt so right again. She was married, she was happy, and now she was going to have a child, a little colt or filly, with her husband. And she wouldn't be alone either. The golden pegasus knew she had the support of Tory's other wives, her fellow sisters.

"Hey!" Rainbow called out, grabbing their attention. "What's going on over there?"

"Should we tell them?" Tory smiled at his first love.

"Let's get them all together first," she giggled, loving the smile her husband sported at this news.

Truthfully, she had been scared of how he would react. When she found out, she had nearly fainted herself. The doctor had said the foal would arrive in nine months, which she was grateful to learn. That meant plenty of time to tell everypony. Yet the entire time Tory had been unconscious, she had wondered what he would think. Time started to make her panic, yet now... Now she felt at ease, knowing he was happy. It brought a large smile to her face to know he wanted to go through with this.

"Alright," Tory replied, kissing her between the eyes. "We'll tell them soon..."

"Oh, nothing really," Fluttershy called back to Rainbow. "Just... I wanted a quick moment to be alone with Tory."

"Aw c'mon Fluttershy," the rainbow-haired pegasus complained. "Don't hog him for yourself!"

"Oh Rainbow, you know she can't do that," came an ever so familiar voice behind her.

She turned to see Tory standing there, sporting the largest smile she had ever seen. Turning back, she saw her lover hadn't moved an inch. With a large smile herself, she tackled the human to the ground and glomped him, kissing him passionately. With a light blush, he returned it. The love she saw in his eyes was so intense, the mare was unable to keep herself from kissing him again and again.

"You have to teach me how you do that..." Rainbow whispered into his ear.

"I think I'll just keep it my little secret," he chuckled.

"What about me?" Luna asked.

"As if I could forget about my Lunar Angel," her husband spoke up from behind her, yet another clone appearing.

"This is getting a little too much," Raven sighed. "Let's go back to town and just rest..."

"Happy to," all of the Tory's said in unison.

I.I.I The Next Day I.I.I

"So darling, what is it that made you come back to town again?" Rarity asked for Fluttershy the second time that day.

"You'll see Rarity," the golden pegasus answered once more, a large smile on her face.

When they got back to town, Tory had it in his mind to mess with their friends. He said they should all meet up outside Twilight's library around noon. Fluttershy hadn't been so sure, but she knew it wouldn't be bad. What confused her though was the little chuckle her husband gave a few seconds later. She asked him what was funny and his answer left her wondering.

"You'll see, my Golden Dove," he laughed. "Just don't freak out when you see what comes through..."

Having just left it at that, she went to collect Rarity from the Carousel Boutique. Rainbow went to grab Applejack, and Luna went after Pinkie. Octavia had been wondering what she could do, but Tory held her back saying her role in this was important and big. Fluttershy simply smiled and left them to plan whatever it was. All she knew was that it was going to be big. Maybe he planned on proposing to her, in front of all their friends?

"This tension is not good for my complexion deary," Rarity protested, trying to get the answer once more.

"Just wait please," Fluttershy sighed. "We're almost there. Just wait until we are all together at Twilight's."

"Is this about that incident in Canterlot?" the alabaster unicorn questioned. "Oh I do hope that Tory will be alright..."

"I-I know..." Fluttershy stammered, trying to fake being sad about it. "I... I miss him so much..."

"We all do deary," Rarity soothed, falling for the ruse. "But I know he'll be back soon, so just keep your head up."

"I'll t-try..."

Fighting the giggles, Fluttershy turned a little to see the library just ahead, with Rainbow and Applejack coming down the road opposite. Luna was standing outside with Pinkie Pie bouncing around her crazily. The dark alicorn looked so dejected, sitting there listening to the pink earth pony launch question after question. But upon seeing her sisters, the Princess of the Night got up and trotted over, a smile on her face.

"Is this everyone?" she asked.

"I think we're missing Raven, Ditzy, Fantasia, and a few others," Rainbow answered, walking up to them.

"Just wha's so gosh darn important tha's gotta take me an Cory from tha orchard?" Applejack asked, looking irritated.

"Hey, wait up!" came the orange haired human from down the road. "I can't gallop like you guys!"

"Hurry up city-slicker!" the earth pony laughed. She turned back to the girls and smiled. "He's been helpin' me with tha farm ev'ry day. He can't stop talkin' 'bout Twilight though."

"Can you blame him?" Rainbow laughed. "I bet if you found somepony that loved you so much, you would think about them all the time."

"Fair 'nough," Applejack sighed. "Darn shopkeeper been lyin' this while time... Just wanted mah family's secret recipe."

"Oh don't worry Applejack," Fluttershy hugged her. "I'm sure you'll find your special somepony..."

"Yes, if I can, then you most likely will as well," Luna smiled. "After all, you are Applejack. You are nice, strong, and of course, you never lie."

"...Ya think so?" the orange earth pony asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"We know so," Rainbow nodded, hugging her.

"Hey!" came a commanding voice from above. The slowly growing group looked up to see Raven and Ditzy. "We heard that a get together was going on?"

"Yeah, when the rest of our friends get here," Rainbow told him. She looked at Cory who was now resting since he caught up. "Hey, where are Grace and Big Macintosh?"

"They... Went to Earth," he gasped. "Z-Zecora... Took them..."

"Big Mac went 'cause she wanted ta go home," Applejack continued. "They left 'bout two hours after tha wedding."

"Excuse me for interrupting," Rarity interjected. "But is that who I think it is?"

Everypony turned towards where she was looking to see a blue unicorn swaggering down the road, her cape blowing in the breeze, her hat tilted over her eyes. Fluttershy had to suppress a smile at how badly the mare was trying to blend in. After a minute, the newcomer made it over to them, and revealed her face. Applejack and Rarity glared at her.

"H-Hello," Trixie stammered, her face one of false confidence. "Trixie would like to ask if this is the right place?"

"Wha' are y'all doin' here?" Applejack challenged. "Didn' learn yer lesson tha last time?"

"Please wait," Fluttershy stopped before her friends did something unpleasant. "Trixie is good, she helped us..."

"I simply refuse to believe that," Rarity shook her head. "After this showoff tried to hurt our dear Fantasia and Ditzy?"

"Trixie knows what she did was bad..." the blue unicorn Hun her head. "She wishes to... A-Apologize for her... Rash and destructive actions. Had she a chance, Trixie would fix it..."

"Ah'm not buyin' it," Applejack glared. "How can we trust ya when ya almost killed yer own sister?"

"Hey, it's fine everypony," came a soft voice behind them. They all turned to see Fantasia. "I forgave her for what happened... She means well now, I know it."

Both Rarity and Applejack looked from one sister to the next, trying to decide what to believe. On one hoof, it was Trixie, who had almost destroyed the town because of her gloating. On the other, it was Fantasia who had almost been killed by the showpony, but forgave the incident... After a moment, they both resigned their anger and looked at Trixie.

"Alright, this one time," Rarity started. "We shall give you one chance, and only one."

"If ya mess up, ah'll be over ya like red on an apple!" Applejack threatened.

"Th-Thank you," Trixie nodded, flinching from the threat. "Trixie shall do her best to prove worthy of your trust."

"Is this everyone?" Rainbow asked, looking around.

"I think so..." Luna nodded. Let's go inside now. Twilight said it was important..."

Walking into the library, everypony gasped to see the place in a complete mess. Books littered the floor, pages torn out and scattered across the room. Other decor in the first floor lobby was strewn about recklessly, adding to the mess. Spike was nowhere to be found, and Twilight was in the center of all the pages on the only piece of visible floor.

Her mane was a complete mess, and her eye twitched uncontrollably. This giant creepy smile could be seen on her face. Her eyes were dilated, and her tail lashed from side to side, random strands poking up. She looked absolutely insane to them. She had a piece of chalk in her hoof and was drawing some strange circle with symbols into the wood.

"Y-Y-Yes, very soon," Twilight laughed crazily. "The seal is almost done, and then Master will be here... Ponies will not know what hit them, they won't."

"T-Twilight?" Applejack started, fear and worry in her voice. "Wha's goin' on here?"

"The ponies!" the purple unicorn shouted, getting up and glaring at them. "Master does not like you! Will hurt, like Master would want!"

"You're really starting to freak me out Twi'..." Rainbow told her.

"What is that Master?" Twilight asked nopony in particular, tilting her head to the side and perking an ear up. "Wish to see the ponies? If you desire it, I will grant to you..."

Taking the chalk, the purple unicorn added a few more symbols to the circle on the floor. She aimed her horn at it then, released some magic, and it glowed white. These was a bright flash, causing everypony to look away, when it died they saw a portal in the ground. Then something horrible happened. A tall figure emerged slowly, his form ever so familiar to them.

His horns and single fang was a dead giveaway to his identity. Appearing from the portal in the floor was Discord, his yellow eyes with red pupils gleamed with a twisted happiness, and his grin held this unspeakable malice. Yet what horrified them the most was what he held in his claw. Within his grasp was a struggling Octavia, fear evident within her expression.

"HELP!!" she screeched. "FLUTTERSHY, RAINBOW, LUNA!!!"

"OCTAVIA!!" everypony shouted, taking a fighting stance.

"Oh how fun," Discord laughed. "If only you could see your faces. Today has just been so good. I got to beat Tory, kidnapped his little mare, and now thanks to Sparkles here, I get to beat all of you!~"

"Tory would never lose to you!" Rainbow challenged. "He could take you down without even trying!"

"Yes," Luna nodded, her horn glowing a deep indigo. "Our husband has more power than ever before, and anything you can do, he can do so with much more skill and grace."

"Oh really, then why hasn't he stopped me from taking this pony here?" the demon asked, chuckling.

"My name is Octavia," the cellist huffed in his grasp. "How uncouth you are, taking a lady without even knowing her name."

"Ugh gag me," Discord sighed. "All you ponies do is complain and whine... You're so boring."

"...H-Hey wait a moment," Rainbow started, thinking about this scenario. "Weren't you in a human body last time we saw you? And weren't you more... Evil?"

"... I-I simply have no idea what you mean Rainbow Dash," the demon returned, his voice less confident.

"Yeah, and something is confusing me," Luna pressed. "If I remember, Tory put a barrier spell around all of us. How did you get control of Twilight Sparkle?"

Discord blinked one, and his expression became flustered. His grasp on Octavia slipped, and she dropped to the floor landing on her flank. Twilight also seemed to look confused. Fluttershy noticed this and had a thought. Things weren't adding up here, not at all. Twilight's behavior, the portal... Everything. Suddenly she understood what was happening and smiled.

"Okay Tory, you can stop now," she giggled.

"Heh..." Discord chuckled, his voice slowly changing. "Hahahaha! Oh I knew you'd get it first Fluttershy!"

"TORY?!" Rarity yelled, her expression one of complete shock.

There was a soft silver glow around the false demon's body, and it slowly shrunk down. His form became more familiar,'his tail vanishing, his horns retracting, and his claws becoming hands once more. His back grew a little, and large angelic wings bathed in the same silver glow emerged. Slowly the shine of his form died down, and everypony saw the human standing there, a confident and lovable smile on his face.

"Well duh," Tory laughed. "Who else could pull off a troll like that?"

"DUDE!" Cory shouted, tackling him. "We've been freaking out!"

"Yeah sorry about that," the silver-winged human smiled. "Trust me, I didn't plan to go into a coma."

"Um, if I may," Rarity started, coming forth. "You look absolutely dashing now but... Just how did you get so different?"

"Why yes, I too have been wondering," Octavia commented, walking up to her new lover. "What brought about this transformation?"

"Ah, now I can explain," Tory grinned. He walked over to a wall, leaned against it, and crossed his arms. "Well it's a kinda long story, so try to get comfy... Well it started right after I thought I died..."

I.I.I Time: Unknown, Location: Unknown I.I.I

Endless white, and then black. Gray... No, Silver. It was a deep silver. Nothing seemed to be there, nothing around. Tory opened his eyes to this emptiness, feeling no pain, and oddly calm. He looked about at the silver that consumed everything around him. He looked down to see the same thing. Above, below, left and right... Just silver. He sighed loudly, surprised to hear his voice echo all around him.

"Is this death?" Tory asked nobody in particular. "Just a never-ending nonexistence around me?"

"If things were like that after death, then everything would be boring," came a female voice behind him. "No, this is just a fragment of your comatose mind."

Turning around, Tory saw a young woman, maybe a year or two older than him. She had long brown hair, two bangs on the sides of her face with the rest tied back by a bow. She had eyes a stronger shade than emeralds, and her smile was the kindest he had ever seen, second only to Fluttershy's. She wore a small red jacket over a light pink shirt, with red pants. She carried a staff, which she held behind her in both hands.

"A-Aerith," Tory stammered.

"Well, not really," the Ancient giggled. "I'm just a creation of your mind and the true force behind everything. I was the person in your head that seemed best to explain things."

"Uh-huh," he commented. "So um... The true force?"

"Some refer to the forces as God, others call them Zeus, Minerva..." Aerith explained. "But none of these are exact. The true forces created everything in equality, and have seen things from afar. They have no definite form, no gender or likeness to anything. All of existence came from these forces."

"Okay so then..." Tory though aloud. "... The true forces are essentially creation and existence in a realm beyond our comprehension?"

"Yes, there you go!" she beamed, hugging him.

"U-Um..." he stammered again, blushing.

"Oh don't be embarrassed," Aerith smiled. "Just relax! I'm here to help you grow. The true forces have a distinct hate of Discord and his using of their powers so cruelly. They want you to fix things."

"Hence the prophecy, and why I'm not dead..." Tory finished.

"Yup!" the Ancient nodded. "I'm supposed to train you before you go back. Ready?"

"Not really," the human sighed. "I don't have my weapons, and I don't even know how long this will take. I don't have forever to do this after all..."

"Yes you do," Aerith countered with a smile. "This place is existence outside of time. Physics, temporal restrictions... Anything that existed doesn't while you're here. But that doesn't mean you can't do anything."

"So if I wanted to, I could make anything happen here?"

"Yes, exactly!" she hugged him again. "Rules do not apply here, so have fun with it!~"

"R-Right..." Tory sighed. But he smiled when he got an idea. "If I can do anything... Then my mind is the only limit. So if I wanted to..."

Tory stepped back, extended an open left hand to the side, palm facing behind him. A soft white glow emerged from the ground and a large bow emerged, rising up into his grasp. A quiver faded into existence on his back, a leather strap going across his torso. He pulled out an arrow, a simple one made of iron, and nocked it in the bow. He took aim, and released the shot, a target landing from above just in front of the projectile. With a smile he tossed the gear into the air, and it vanished in a flash of white.

"Most impressive," Aerith giggled.

"Just messing around," the human shrugged. "I always wanted to use a bow."

"Then learn it," she told him. "You have the time now.."

"Maybe, but I want to set myself up first." Tory told her. "Time for a little redressing."

A haze covered his body, and his form started to alter. There was the sound of clothing moving around, but that was it. Then the smoke cleared and Aerith smiled. Tory had gained a new appearance alright. His regular clothing had vanished to be replaced with a silver shirt and black pants. He wore black fingerless gloves, and black combat boots. Over his shirt was what looked like a leather breastplate, with a leather strap going under it. Over-top all of this was a black trench-coat, with the collar extended up. On his forehead were a pair of goggles, wide and silver-colored.

Across Tory's chest was a black strap which held the sheathe of a large sword on his back. At his hips were two daggers, their sheaths crossing his waist like a pair of belts in an 'x' fashion. Once more he had a quiver and a bow, both slung across his back and shoulders. If one looked close enough at the end of his coat sleeves, they would see two leather bracers on his wrists.

"A little?" Aerith smiled.

"What? I like this outfit. Plus it'll help me train," he replied.

"If you say so.~" the Ancient sang with a giggle. "Ready?"

"Yes... What do I do?"

"You fight... Him," Aerith answered, pointing behind him.

Turning around, Tory came face to face with a familiar figure. He stood just a little taller than this character, who had blonde hair parted from the middle to the sides. He wore a blue denim jacket over a white shirt, with blue baggy pants. He had on white gloves, and he sported a tail as well. In his hands were two daggers, which he held behind him.

"... Zidane," Tory whispered, stepping back.

"Yup!" the newcomer laughed. "You fight me, and I have to help you get better. Don't hold back, or you might get hurt."

"R-Right..."

With that, Tory unsheathed his own daggers, holding them upside down like his opponent. His shoulders could be seen shaking, not out of fear, but from excitement. Zidane, of Final Fantasy Nine, his favorite character in the entire series. The human held back a laugh. Now he got to fight the character he held in such high esteem. This would be a good test of his skills.

"Trance!" Zidane yelled, his clothing vanishing to be replaced with red fur. His body glowed the same shade.

"Off the bat?!" Tory protested, jumping back and spreading his wings.

"Whatsa matter, scared?" the thief laughed. He jumped up high, far above his opponent and brought his dagger hilts together, combining them. He started to spin the weapon and dived downward at Tory. "Rah!"

The human dodged, but Zidane wasn't done. The character separated his weapons, tossed them off to Tory's sides, and they angled themselves towards him, glowing blue. With a yelp, the human flew backwards, just barely dodging two beams of energy from the blades. He gained some altitude and took a moment to catch his breath.

"Damn you're fast," Tory laughed.

"Can't handle it?" Zidane smiled.

"If you want to get stronger, you have to beat Zidane," Aerith told the human. "You're speed must be faster than his if you hope to get stronger. Discord is twice as fast, and triple the strength."

"What, you think I'm giving up?" Tory challenged. He laughed and landed beside her. "I'm not even getting started. I can't lose to someone whose attacks I know better than my own."

"Then let's up the difficulty..." the Ancient nodded at Zidane.

"Triple Threat!" the character shouted, three copies spawning around him. One rushed upward, one left, one right, and one down the center.

"Hyah!" Tory roared, spinning wildly and rapidly with his daggers extended.

The copies all collided with the spin attack, slashing them in two instantly. But before they dissipated, the human stuck out his feet, flipping their lower halves and propelling them into the air. He jumped, grabbed them, and tossed the legs into the aerial one who swatted them to the side. Then the Zidane saw his opponent had closed the distance, and his daggers were angled at two vital points.

"Blade Storm!" Tory shouted.

He started to slash the character to bits, each strike landing on a vital area of the body. The assault tore at Zidane's body, which still glowed red with power. The knives cut deeply into him, quickly draining his strength. With a shout, the thief deflected a strike and kicked the human away. They both landed and fell to their knees, tired from that little bout.

"Whew, I didn't expect to get this far..." Tory laughed weakly.

"Sheesh, you didn't even... flinch," Zidane gasped.

Aerith smiled, watching them. This was going good. The human's speed was about as equal as his opponent's. That meant to win, Tory had to surpass Zidane's lightning quick attacks and anticipate where the character would move, then counter with his own strikes than had to be just as swift. Since speed was his worst trait, the Ancient felt that should be capitalized on. This was the first part of her special training regiment she would put Tory through.

"Alright, enough of this," the human spoke up, getting to his feet. He tossed all of his weapons to the side and took a fighting stance. "You and me, right now. No more tricks, no weapons, just a man to man fist fight."

"Alright, I'll play " Zidane nodded, dropping his daggers at his feet. "Just don't complain when I knock you out!"

"We'll see..."

The two rushed at each other quickly, closing the small distance between them in almost no time. Zidane lashed out with a right jab, but Tory ducked and tried to uppercut. The character stepped back, pivoted off his left foot, and smashed the human from the side, who reeled back from the strike and flipped off his hand. Not letting up any, the thief rushed after him, performing a jump spin kick, which was blocked and countered with a grab. He was thrown behind his opponent, his own momentum carrying him farther.

Tory charged at him, weaving left and right. He closed the distance and feinted, landing a solid punch in Zidane's stomach. He continued by grabbing his opponent's head, bringing his knee up, and slamming them together. The thief fell back, and that was the opportunity the human needed. He went in low, swept his foot under the character, and as his opponent fell, he spun, brought the same foot up and slammed it into Zidane's stomach, making the impact against the ground twice as strong.

The character grunted, rolled away, and used his tail to catch Tory's leg, bringing the human down. Using the fall, the silver-winged one brought his elbow down, just barely missing his opponent. They split apart, stood up, and panted heavily. Aerith could only watch these two figures brawl, her expression one of excitement. This was great to watch!

"Sheesh," Tory gasped, clutching at his chest. "Y-You don't... Give up."

"Course not," Zidane laughed weakly. "Gotta be strong to... To protect my friends..."

"I know... The feeling," the human sighed, taking a knee. "If I don't... Protect my wives, then I am a failure."

"Married eh?"

"Happily," Tory chuckled.

"Okay, break time!" Aerith broke in, sitting down by the human.

"Break welcome," the two fighters responded in unison, collapsing immediately.

"Heh, boys.." the Ancient laughed kindly.

I.I.I Golden Oaks Library, current time period I.I.I

"So who won?" Rainbow asked her husband.

"It was a draw," Tory smiled, hugging her. "Our first battle ended like so many others did. Me and Zidane fought so many times, I lost count."

"How many fights do you think you both had?" Twilight questioned, a quill and parchment hovering nearby in her magic.

"Let's see... I'd say about a thousand," he laughed. "Aerith made us fight about three times a day... Least I think it was a day. Hard to tell when there isn't a sun in the sky, or a beautiful moon to grace the night..."

This earned a blush from Luna, which got her a kiss by the human she loved. Each of Tory's lovers were huddled around him, content to have him back. Rainbow Dash was over his left shoulder, her head resting on his arm. Luna was at his right, her hoof in his hand. Fluttershy was curled up on his head, eyes closed but she was listening. Octavia was in a similar position in his lap, having her mane caressed by his free hand.

"You fought him a thousand times?!" Cory shouted, incredulous.

"I think," the brown-haired human told him calmly. "I stopped counting when Aerith threw in a little twist one day..."

I.I.I Location/Time: Unknown I.I.I

"Okay you two," the Ancient started, grabbing the attention of Tory and Zidane. "We need to do things differently now."

Though time was not existence in this blank space, the equivalent of two years had passed. Tory's form had not changed much, but he looked stronger. Yet he nor Zidane had taken notice, having fought each other every day for hours at a time. His body was more lithe, and any excess weight he once held was now hardened muscle. His hair was twice it's length, over his eyes now. His outfit was torn in many places, some parts of it ripped off to stop the hindrance, yet his weapons looked as fresh and strong as the day he made them.

"Oh, I finally get someone that can fight?" Tory joked, crossing his arms.

"Heh, last I checked you were down by three loses," Zidane taunted.

"I'll make it up by five wins in our next fight day," the human countered, lightly punching his friend.

"You two..." Aerith sighed, shaking her head with a smile.

During the time Tory had been here, all three of them had become close friends. Zidane was like a brother to him, and Aerith, a sister. Though they were not exactly real, they still existed, and that proved to be the only thing keeping him sane in this place of absolute emptiness. Now the human had so much trust in them, he would place his life in their hands, knowing they would do the same for him.

"Anyways, it's time to step up your training Tory," Aerith continued.

Okay, so what are we doing?" he asked.

"WE are not doing anything," the Ancient responded, placing two fingers on his forehead. "But YOU are..."

Before the human had a chance to ask what she meant, she pushes him gently, enough to knock him back. He rocked back on his heels, and felt the ground beneath him vanish. His body slowly descended down, his companions standing there, watching him fall. He kept his eyes on them, watching the blackness around him swell up, engulfing his body. The only thing remaining was the shaft of light where he could just barely make out the two small figures of his friends.

After a couple more seconds Tory landed against something, a large splash of water surging around his form. He looked at it, saw the red tinge to it and gasped, air bubbles emerging in place. He felt cold emptiness about him, and his vision started to blacken... No, the water was turning black! What the human had initially taken as bloody water was actually...

"Madness," Tory thought to himself, regaining control of his body and forcing his way up. "This stuff will drive my soul insane if I don't get out of it quick!"

The human swam for the surface, reaching out to the air above. He could breathe in this dense water, but he longed for the relief of warm oxygen over this cold, blackness that threatened to send him into insanity. He came within just a few inches of the surface, and found his way barred by a durable, thin layer of hardened madness. It resisted all of his pushing, not even cracking.

"I don't have long..." the human mused to himself, feeling a dark nagging at the back of his head. "The madness is already digging it's claws into me."

Starting to get desperate, Tory reared back and slammed his fist into the barrier. He punched at the dark wall that kept him in the darkness, smashing against it as hard as his body would allow him to. He fought against the twisted thoughts his mind willed before him. Why does pain hurt so much, yet feel so good? Should I keep doing this because I like what I feel or because it hurts?

"Gah, get out of my head!" Tory roared at himself, shaking his head quickly. "I'll not succumb to the insanity! I... Will... FIGHT!!!"

With a shout of anger into the madness, the human punched the wall one more time, putting his soul into the attack. He smashed against it, cracking the dark barrier. He gave a smirk, one much darker than he had intended to give, and swam down just a little. He looked up, and pushed forward as hard as his legs would allow, building all the speed he could muster.

He charged at the wall before him and instead of using his fists, he rammed against it with his head. The end result was him bursting from the black water of insanity. He coughed and sputtered for air as he rested halfway out of the madness, his torso over the hard layer that originally held him down. Now it served as the one thing keeping him free of the madness.

"Uhn," Tory grunted, dragging his lower body from the murky depths of evil. "I... Made it."

"Or have you?" came a soft voice to his side. He turned and saw Fluttershy approach from the black abyss to the side.

Like above and below, there was just darkness. Pure black to the darkest degree on all sides. Yet still Tory found his sight unhindered by the lack of light. He could still see color, or actually the many shades of gray around him. Just like Fluttershy was right now, her body a light gray, her mane a blackish gray. Yet what he saw in her eyes was what startled him most. Hatred, evil... Absolute malice directed at him.

"Fluttershy?" Tory questioned, a hint of fear in his voice.

"You're weak, a loser like on Earth!" she sneered, her words making him flinch and stinging his heart. "I don't even know why I married you!"

"Nor I," came a dark and regal voice from the shadows behind him. He turned to see Luna, the same disdain in her eyes. "How I came to like you, something so softhearted and not even a pony. I feel so vulgar, having touched you... Having kissed you. The taste on my tongue is absolutely revolting!"

"And you're not even loyal!" barked the rebellious voice of Rainbow Dash, who emerged beside the dark alicorn. "Who falls in love with three ponies and marries all three of them?! If you ask me, you were cheating on all of us! I bet you have some fourth mare hiding somewhere from us, don't you?"

"I-I... Never," Tory stammered, his voice weak with the pain each comment had struck him with. "You know I love all three of you, with every bit of my heart!"

"Stop lying!" Rainbow yelled at him, getting close and glaring, her eyes burning holes into his. "I know what you think of that Octavia mare! I saw the look you gave her at OUR wedding!"

"Hmph," Luna huffed, turning away. "How tasteless and cruel, to harbor feelings for a pony you have no connection to and not even a day after getting married!"

"You don't deserve us," Fluttershy finished, breaking the last of the human's heart. "You belong in that black water, where you can just die!"

That tore it for the human. Despite everything he had gone through for them, all three of his wives held no love for him. His heart shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments, each one crumbling to dust and flying away in a breeze of hate and disdain. His eyes teared up, and his stomach clenched. Tory broke into a massive sweat and for a second he thought his body had stopped entirely.

Unable to hold himself up, he buckled and went to his knees, then his entire body dropped, back into the black madness he had tried so desperately to escape. The hard layer on the surface parted and welcomed him, embracing his being with cold, black love. His mind didn't even try to resist the insanity forced upon him. His thoughts and beliefs fell before the surge of darkness.

"I don't deserve them..." Tory thought to himself, his thoughts flashing an evil scene for a second. "I'm weak... Softhearted... I belong in this madness..."

The darkest of his thoughts pushed forward, his blade drenched in blood. He saw himself standing over a figure, the most twisted of smiles upon his face. He was covered in blood as well. He laughed, a dark haunting chuckle that reverberated through his whole body. His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils dilated and his entire body was shaking. It wasn't from fear, it was from sheer joy. Tory hadn't done it, yet he knew the feelings that his vision self was experiencing.

The human focused his attention on the figure on the floor, the one 'he' had just killed. Who was it? He could only see a massive blood puddle about them, they had a long mane and... No. There had to be some sort of mistake! He'd never do something like THAT!!!!

“F-Fluttershy...” Tory whispered, seeing the dead body of his wife, his insane self laughing maniacally.

“I've finally done it,” the twisted version of him started, his voice excited and ever so different, scaring the original. “I've killed her at last. No more will she berate me, or beg for my help! I killed Fluttershy, and I'm free!”

“This... isn't right!” the original thought to himself, shaking the vision from his mind. “I'd never kill my wife! I love her too much!!”

Tory opened his eyes, the cold and dark madness around him, numbing his body with it's insanity. Every dark thought imaginable flashed through his head, and it scared him. These were not his own thoughts, just those of his dark side, the one he would never give in to! He forced every little drop of blood, every hysterical laugh, every violent thing he saw out of his mind.

“I won't let myself lose to this!” he thought, his confidence returning in a massive surge. “I'll die before I give in to the insanity, before I even consider hurting Fluttershy, Luna, or Rainbow!!!”

There was no doubt in his mind now, no fear, and his heart stood strong once more. Tory clenched his fists, and corrected his body, aiming upward. He swam upward, willing his legs to kick harder, his hands to pull him closer to the barrier he knew waited for him. Yet this time, there would be no stopping, not from the wall, not from his emotions... nothing!

With a shout, the human reared back, his momentum shooting him upward and right at the wall. He slammed his fist into the hard exterior, and it shattered almost instantly, breaking a large hole in the surface. He climbed out once more, and looked about the emptiness on all sides, the single shaft above his only light.

“Alright, you can come out now,” Tory started, relaxing his muscles and taking a moment to rid himself of those horrid thoughts the madness instilled. “I know each of you are there.”

“Who cares what you know!” Fluttershy started, approaching from the shadows with his other wives in tow. “You're just a loser! You're too weak to do-”

At that exact moment, Tory had crossed the distance between him and her, and embraced his wife lovingly. He caressed her mane gently, feeling each and every strand of her soft pink hair. He held her close, a smile upon his face and tears in his eyes. Yet the ones he shed now were happy ones. He was overjoyed at seeing Fluttershy alive and well, instead of dead with her blood everywhere.

“It's alright,” the human soothed, whispering into her ear. “I'm here for you, even if you don't want me to be. I love you, so incredibly much, and that will never change.”

“T-Tory...” the golden pegasus unable to speak fully. “You... You're...”

“I'm right here, with you, Rainbow Dash, and Luna,” he finished for her. “Right where I need to be.”

“Hmph!” the rainbow-haired pegasus huffed. “You're still a cheater!”

At this, Tory slowly released his first wife, something she didn't want to happen, and got up. He started for Rainbow, and grasped her hoof tightly. He looked into her magenta eyes and leaned in, planting the most passionate of kisses he could give her. He poured every bit of emotion into the action, and after a minute, slowly broke away, his blue eyes locked on her.

“That...” she started quietly, blushing intensely. “That was... Wow.”

“Yes, and now you understand, I love each of you, and I'd never cheat,” Tory smiled, giving her a light kiss between the eyes.

“You sicken me!” Luna spat, pushing him to the ground, where he stayed, watching her calmly. “You're weak, a nopony! You can't do anything!”

“...I may be weak, but I have the one thing that makes me stronger than anything else,” the human replied, climbing up slowly. “I have a heart. Your words hurt, but they will never repel me from you, my wife. I love you too much to give you up Luna.”

“Y-You should... give him a chance,” Fluttershy whispered, getting beside him. “He's good, he really is.”

“And he does love us, you know it!” Rainbow Dash pushed, joining them. “Admit it Luna, you love him too, but you won't let him in!”

“I care not for this freak of nature!” the dark alicorn shouted, turning around. “He is nothing to one of my stature!”

“The real Luna would never say such a thing,” Tory countered, getting up and standing beside her. He ran his fingers through her mane slowly, eliciting a sigh of content from her. “But the real one would do that right there.”

“D-Damn you... vile...” she tried, feeling her resistance slipping. “How is it you... and those other two...”

“I know none of you are real now,” the human started, kissing her cheek, and making her collapse beside him, unable to hold up her maliciousness. “You were all created by the madness inside me, brought out to feed on my weakness. But once I realized that nothing could be gained from those dark thoughts, I cast them aside, and showed you my heart, my one real strength. You each needed something from it, and I gave you exactly what it was.”

“Your support...” Fluttershy smiled.

“Your loyalty...” Rainbow Dash nodded.

“...And your love,” Luna finished, joining them.

The girls walked over to him, smiles on their faces, tears in their eyes. They blushed lightly and gave the human they loved a light kiss. As they stepped back, a soft glow appeared around each of them, and their forms turned into one of pure energy. The one that was Fluttershy originally came forward, and phased into Tory's body.

Instantly, his entire being filled with a warmth that brought a smile to his face. The human relished in the feeling, and focused his thoughts on his first wife, and all the great times he shared with her. He recalled those days when they first met, and she healed him. The time they spent on Earth.... everything came back to him, all in an instant.

Next to follow Fluttershy's example was Rainbow Dash. She sent waves of courage and bravery through him. Tory felt his mind run through his memories with the bold pegasus. He saw them on the beach in the moonlight, the time they watched the sunset together, all those times in the Cloister, and their wedding. He placed a hand on his chest, and for a second he thought he felt a hoof rest over it.

Finally came the dark alicorn he loved just as much as his other two brides. She smiled at him, and changed into the orb of light the other girls had become. She flew into him and the feeling that followed brought a tear to his eye.

The time he had been Tails, and spent the night within her chambers... His wedding to the same alicorn whose beauty he so loved, and the dance they shared... And his last memory before death, having her by his side. Love was the only way to describe every single moment they had spent together.

"But there is one more thing," came the echoing voice of Luna.

"You may love us, be loyal to us, and give us your support..." Fluttershy started.

"But without the fourth and final piece," Rainbow continued. "You'll never have the one thing that can best even the darkest of beings. Your body is tempered and ready, yet your mind and soul have not harmonized yet."

"For you still have not mastered the last requirement," the dark alicorn stated. "Tory Mills, we give to you the one thing that will complete you, physically, mentally, and spiritually..."

The sound of hoofsteps echoed from the darkness to the side. The human turned and watched the absolute black, listening for who would approach him next. What he saw emerge from the shadows surprised him, to say the least. Now standing less than five feet from him, a loving smile upon her face, was Octavia, her eyes shining brightly. Her smile brought one to his lips as she came over.

"We give to you, a pure heart," The gray mare finished, bowing to him, her eyes watering up quickly.

"O-Octavia..." he whispered, returning the gesture.

She came up to him, and pressed her nose to his, a slight blush upon her cheeks. She began to shine brightly, and she turned into the energy form like the others. Yet instead of flowing into the human and filling him with emotions, she floated there. Tory smiled and placed a hand on the ball of light. Then the most peculiar of feelings rushed into him.

Peace, understanding those about him, the desire to protect, courage to do so, knowledge to guide him and others down the right path, as well as the one emotion that had always fueled the human's actions before, sheer love for the ones he called friends. Tory's entire being became overwhelmed with the intensity of these feelings. His chest burned hotter as the moments passed, but he felt no pain. His mind shot images across his eyes, pictures and fragments of memories, yet each was so short he could not fully grasp them beyond the fact that they brought a smile to his face. And his soul...

Tory was at peace, with everything. His mind was calming down now, his body began to relax, and everything became quiet around him. He could hear the madness under his feet stir restlessly, yet left him to stand alone. Everything made sense to him, much more than it ever had before. Originally he was just a lone human, out to stop the destruction Discord would bring about. Now, he was a protector, a defender, a shield for his wives, his friends, and his family.

"I am..." he whispered, hearing his voice echo about him. "A Paladin..."

"The armor that deflects Discord's blade," Luna agreed within him.

"The wall that keeps his black spirit outside," Fluttershy joined in.

"The heart that listens and guides those in need," Rainbow stated.

"And the soul that shines brightly in the darkest of hours," Octavia concluded, her voice now inside his head as well.

"My sword is not meant to harm, but to protect," Tory nodded, pressing a hand to his chest and feeling his heartbeat. "To pave a path for those with a bright future!"

The human smiled, raised his right hand up, and a large gust billowed about him. The dark abyss on all side retreated, vanished into nothingness, only to be replaced with a large hill overlooking a dense and bright green forest. Atop this hill stood one large sakura tree, the petals flying along the wind and circling into a now blue sky, one that shone brightly like never before on Earth or Equestria. He looked down and the lake of madness was now a small pool of red water at his feet. A petal from the tree landed in it and the dark murkiness within became clear, crisp water that reflected the human's look back at him.

"This is..." Tory started, looking first about him and then the water, observing the one that looked back.

"What your mind finds peace in," Luna finished for him, her voice a lovely whisper in his ears.

"Where you can always find a reprieve should you need one," Fluttershy continued, the feeling of her soft breath against his cheek making him blush.

"When doubt, hesitation, and fear clouds your judgement," Rainbow followed up, the feeling of hooves around his neck a welcome presence.

"Return and find yourself once more," Octavia finished, the feeling of a kiss being placed upon his lips sending his blush into overdrive. "The door will open so long as your heart stays unlocked and free."

A soft light emerged from Tory's chest, and four orbs of energy came forth. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Luna, and lastly Octavia took their forms. They stood around him, one in front, one behind, and one on each side. He looked at each of them and felt his smile grow with each second that they held his gaze. The moment his eyes rested on the gray Earth Pony in front of him, he could not help but step forward.

She stood beside the tree, her cello resting against the hard wood. She gazed up at Tory as he approached, and stepped forward. He came down and embraced her quickly, his lips meeting hers within a heartbeat. Neither of them could deny the blush upon their faces, nor would they want to deny it. For the truth was one they enjoyed.

The human that held Octavia now had desired her affections for some time, yet he could never let them exist while his love for the others persisted. When he met the mare at his wedding, he found himself drawn to her. Yet his place had been with his wives, and as such he could do nothing about what his heart wished to say. But suddenly she was before him, and there was a warm glint in her eyes that reminded him of his wives.

"Yes," the cellist said, a tear in her eyes.

"Pardon?" Tory asked, looking at her quizzically.

"The question you want to ask," Octavia giggled. "I would love to become Octavia von Mills."

...Speaking of wives... The blush that came upon his face caused the gray mare to let out a soft laugh once more. How had she known that he wanted to ask such a large question? He turned that thought away and broke into his signature grin. He shifted a few steps back, took one knee, and reached behind him...

I.I.I Current Time Period I.I.I

"Octavia Von Clef..." Tory started, his voice a little more than a whisper, yet it was loud in the silence of his friends.

At this part of the story, the human stopped and moved to the floor where he got down upon a single knee once more. Everypony and Cory watched as he pulled a small black box from his pocket. He held it before him, in front of the gray mare who could do nothing but let her eyes water up. The box opened to reveal a small silver bracelet that held an onyx gem in the shape of a heart.

"Though little time has passed since we came together, I have a love for you that equals the ones a share with Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Luna." Tory continued, his azure eyes shining in the candlelight. "I would be honored if you would allow me to take your hoof in marriage, so that we can be together forever, so I can hold you in times of distress, smile with you in times of peace, and share my life with you in a way so few can ever see. Would you allow me, Tory Mills, to become your husband, the one you can turn to when you are sad, the one you can laugh with when happy, and the one who you can lean on in times of trouble?"

"T-Tory..." Octavia whispered, the tears rolling down her cheeks now. Her smile betrayed her answer just seconds before she said it. "Yes! I would love to!"

Every one of them there gave a giant cheer, the loudest coming from Tory's wives. Besides the human that just proposed to Octavia, they were the most delighted about this. They understood how much this meant to their husband, and just as well they wanted the cellist to be happy as well. It was just an enjoyable bonus that she would become their sister by marriage.

When the noise died down, Tory placed the bracelet upon his new fiancé's left hoof, and gave her a loving kiss between her eyes. She pressed against him gently and they all started to congratulate the couple, with Luna, Rainbow, and Fluttershy crowding the gray mare and talking about how the wedding should go. Tory just smiled at them, then glanced at his first love.

His eyes wandered down to her stomach, and for a split second his grin faltered. It passed just as quick as it came, and he pulled away from his loves. He got free of the group, and made for the door in a casual manner. Shadow Breeze took notice of his leave and cocked an eyebrow. Deciding to see why the one that had just proposed would separate from the group, the deep gray stallion followed.

Once the human found himself outside and alone, his smile fell apart. He collapsed to his knees and tears started to fall from his eyes. Why?! It didn't seem fair to any of them!!! He pounded his fist into the ground a few times, making a very small crater in the dirt. Quietly, Shadow opened the door and saw his best friend's husband break down right in front of him. This didn't make much sense...

"There has to be a way around this..." Tory whispered, his voice breaking and his statement more of a question. "I can't allow something like it to happen... Agh!"

The human smashed his hand into the ground a few more times and breathed heavily, his anger and distress slowly easing away. He sniffled once, wiped away, the tears and stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants. Turning around he slapped his cheeks a few times and reached for the door, only to finally take notice of the pegasus with a blue streak in his mane.

"...How... How much did you just see?" Tory stammered, his face calm but his eyes revealed his horror.

"E-Enough?" Shadow returned, his comment a question but a challenge as well.

"... Get out here, before any of them notice you," the human instructed, turning around and stepping a few feet away.

The stallion did as he was told, and quickly removed himself from the building. The two of them stood in silence before one motioned to the balcony on the building. It would prevent any inside from hearing what would inevitably come next. They flew up there and took a seat on the wood floor. Silence lasted for another minute until Shadow gave a sigh and looked at the one beside him.

"Notice how the sun sets so perfectly against the horizon," Tory commented, his eyes glued to the sight of Celestia's daily task falling ever so slowly into the earth. "It is almost as beautiful as the moon, or a sonic rainboom, or Fluttershy's smile..."

"A-Agreed," the stallion nodded, not sure where this conversation was going.

"... Four of five, and three of two," the human said, catching his listener off-guard. "Pure of heart, and bravery true. Together they battle the ones of tainted air, when fair is foul and foul is fair..."

As he finished, Tory cast his eyes to the pegasus beside him. They were filled with tears, and something else... Confusion, doubt, defeat... Shadow felt the urge to hug him, and did so. The human returned it, letting a small sigh go. They sat there for another minute before the silence ended.

"I understand the four of five, and I can guess the three of two..." Tory continued, casting his gaze into the setting sun once more. "But that last line... It scares me. A-And I know for a fact things will not be good. That entire thing is... It's a prophecy about my children."

"You mean... Your kids are the four of five... But what about the other three?" Shadow asked, voicing his thoughts.

"I don't know..." the silver-winged human admitted, sighing once more. "I just figured it was Cory, yet right now I... I can't say for sure who it would be."

"How will you deal with this?" the pegasus pressed, looking at the one before him with worried eyes. "Does anypony else know?"

"Not a one," Tory answered, looking back with azure eyes stained red. "This problem, this destiny belongs to others. I have my prophecy, and I still have yet to complete it..."

"Well you're not alone," Shadow smiled, patting his back. "You have Rainbow Dash, and Luna and Fluttershy... Now you have Octavia too. And all of your friends as well."

"... You remind me of someone I know..." The human said suddenly, looking over the black pegasus. "He would say the same kinda stuff as you. He was a brother to me..."

"Perhaps I can be that brother then?" Shadow asked. "I feel as though I know you as well. Were we to stick together, maybe something could be formed here?"

"I'd like that," Tory nodded, extending a hand. "We haven't been properly introduced yet. I'm Tory Mills..."

"Shadow Breeze," the pegasus returned, shaking his hand. "I am an old friend of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash..."

"Heh, you're more than an old friend," the human chuckled. "You and Fluttershy have a close connection, possibly love?"

"H-How did you-"

"When I got rid of those brutes last night," Tory started, cutting him off. "Fluttershy thought I had become bad. You tried to protect her from me, and the look in your eyes said everything."

"You're... You're not mad?" Shadow asked, not believing the one before him.

"Well, anger is not the path for me," the human returned, shrugging. "And I can understand liking her... She is amazing."

"Yeah..." the pegasus sighed, looking down. "You are so lucky..."

"...You know, you can be too." Tory smiled, throwing an a around him in a light hug. "What if I told you I could maybe find a way for you and Fluttershy to be together?"

"But... She's with you," he stated, confused. "I can't take her from you, and I doubt she would leave..."

"What if there was another Fluttershy?"

"A... A second Fluttershy?" Shadow questioned, incredulous.

"Yes, I can-" the human started, but was cut off by the balcony door behind them opening.

"Tory, what might you be doing up here?" Octavia asked as she came out and nuzzled him. She smiled and continued. "Everypony is wondering where you and your friend have removed yourselves to."

"I had to talk with Shadow about something," the human grinned, wrapping her in a loving hug. "Sorry for worrying you."

"Maybe we can talk about this thing later?" Shadow Breeze suggested. "I am sure you wish to spend time with your beautiful lovers..."

"And we want to spend time with him too~" the cellist whispered into the human's ear, a sultry hint to her voice and an open invitation that made him blush.

Before Tory could respond, Octavia wrapped her fore-hooves around his arm and started dragging him from the balcony into the library. He sighed with a smile and cast one last glance at Shadow that said "Sorry, gotta go. We'll talk later..." As the balcony door closed completely, and he was alone, the pegasus gave his own sigh and shook his head, still trying to understand that suggestion of Tory's.

"Another Fluttershy..." he whispered to himself, getting up and grasping the balcony door. He rested his head there and thought about those two words. "But the question is, would she even love me?..."

I.I.I

"So what happened next?" Twilight Sparkle asked, her notepad almost full with Tory's account in the unknown location outside of time.

"Well, u-um..." the winged human stammered.

"Dude, what's up?" Cory asked, still beside Twilight with his arm around her.

"N-Nothing just... Thinking," Tory replied quickly.

Perhaps it had been too quick, for now everypony was giving him a curious look, one filled with worry as well. Luna, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Octavia glanced at each other then back to him, a flicker of concern in their eyes. They gazed at him, their expressions saying "Tell us. We love you and want to help."

"... Fine," Tory sighed after a few seconds of holding their stare. "What happened next is well... Bad."

"What did you have to do?" Cory inquired, watching his lover put down a few more notes.

"I had to... Kill them."

This response earned a much expected gasp from the winged human's friends and wives. Fluttershy hugged her husband tightly while Rainbow Dash nuzzled his neck comfortingly and Luna put her head against his to show her support. Octavia let her lips meet his in a light kiss. He gave a light smile and looked at each of his lovers.

"I had to kill all of them... But I didn't." Tory finished, hugging each of them to him. "I refused to hurt the ones I love, so the path I chose was longer and all the harder than it could've been."

"What trials did you face?" Twilight asked, her quill blazing notes across the parchment as she magically wrote them.

I.I.I Location/Time: Unknown I.I.I

The sight of Octavia when he proposed was like a dream, one that he could not live without. Yet right as she said yes, everything vanished into pure silver again. He stood up, pocketing the wedding bracelet with a sigh. This was expected, as it had been merely a test. Now his path must continue forward. He had to become stronger so that he could protect them all.

"You did well Tory," Aerith said, walking up to him from behind. "You passed as I knew you would."

"Thanks..." the winged human replied with a nod.

"You look tired," Zidane noted, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes.

"I'll be fine," Tory countered calmly. "Just give me the next trial."

"In due time," the Ancient responded, nodding at the thief who returned it and pulled out his daggers. "Now we have to see just how much progress remains..."

"I'm fighting him again?" Tory sighed with a smile.

"Not just him..." Aerith answered, pointing out to the side at two approaching figures. "Them too."

"Who're th-" The human started, but stopped when he realized who they were. "... No... Way."

"Lets see what ya got!" the bolder of the newcomers challenged.

"Be warned, we have no intention of holding back." the other stated calmly, giving a peaceful and confident smirk.

The first one wore a black jacket and cargo pants, both with parts in orange. He had short, spiky blond hair, with deep blue eyes, and three whisker-like marks on each cheek. He had blue sandals that were strapped up to his ankles, as well as a small tan pouch held on his right leg. He had this giant grin that was as confident as it was contagious. It was Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja, and a deadly adversary.

Beside him stood a figure with red body armor, parts of it as white stripes. His chest was heavily equipped with a round breastplate of red, with red-bordered square shoulder-plates that had a white background behind a red "Z". His stomach, neck, upper arms, and his upper legs were not armored, instead had a black covering with a metallic sheen it them. He wore a red helm that did not guard the face, much like a Royal Guard helm except without the neck guard, and the crest of the helm over the head was white with a sapphire like gem on the forehead.

A long... Incredibly long golden blonde ponytail flowed out from the back of his head gear. His lower arms and legs were roundish and bulky with red armor. At his waist was a sword hilt, and Tory knew it was infinitely more than JUST a hilt... Zero, from the Megaman X series wielded an energy saber that came to life when he swung with it. His right hand could also turn into an energy blaster as well...

Zero was a special character for many reasons. He wasn't human for one of them. Instead he was a human-like robot, designed for many purposes. His was a kind known as “Reploids”, and each were special in the fact of how they acted. They were human for the most part, and although being machines had personalities and such, but they were also skilled in the fact that some, few but some, could copy data from those they defeated that were mechanical like themselves.

Zero was not just any Reploid, he was among the best. His skills exceeded all others by leagues! He had the abilities of many rouge Reploids, called Mavericks, to call his own now, as he had taken those skills and altered them to enhance his already deadly swordplay.

"THEY are my opponents?!" Tory asked, incredulous. "I'm supposed to fight two of the strongest and most iconic characters from video games and anime?!"

"Scared again?" Zidane taunted, using the human's shoulder as an armrest.

"A little bit... Zero is like, a legend to me, and Naruto is as strong as he is many. Fighting each of you individually is going to kill me easily!"

"I should probably mention..." Aerith started, grabbing his attention. "That you're going to fight all three of them at once."

"ALL OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME?!!!" Tory roared, stupefied beyond imagination. "I'm gonna take on not just Zidane, but Zero and Naruto at the same time?!"

"What's the big deal 'bout it?" Naruto lazily asked.

"Am I right to think you might overestimate us, or underestimate yourself?" the Reploid inquired.

"He thinks we're gods or something," Zidane told them, twirling a dagger in one hand. "He doesn't wanna fight his heroes."

"That's true, but I don't want to fight, period," Tory told them all with a sigh. "I just want a peaceful life, you know?"

"Nothin' wrong with that!" the ninja responded loudly, plopping onto the ground to lay back and relax.

“Those that strive for peace are the ones that must fight the most,” Zero returned philosophically. “You know of us, so you must be aware of the hardships we each faced. My trials are many, and I've died from them before. Still the battles must be waged, until peace can be brought about by one end yielding to the other.”

“But... Fighting you serves no purpose,” the winged-human protested, trying to escape a battle he felt was wrong. “To what end would losing to you three serve?”

“Discord is an enemy capable of eliminating all of us combined, and still remaining able to withstand entire armies.” Aerith explained to him. “No amount of Reploid assaults, ninja swarms, mages, soldiers, or otherwise could bring harm to him when he gains his full powers back.”

“So... I have to defeat all of them single-handed if I'm to hold a candle to Discord?” Tory questioned, feeling weaker than ever, even after his change.

“If you should overcome each of these three in a single bout, your abilities will be proven.” the Ancient answered. “You'll not have to remain here any longer for after this you'll be ready to take on that vile creature himself.”

“Then... I'll accept this challenge!” the human nodded at his new opponents, his eyes flashing confidence. “I will strive for what I believe in, and best each of you to reach that goal!”

“Be quicker than the wind,” Zidane grinned.

“Stronger than the earth!” Naruto joined, standing up.

“And wiser than the water,” Zero put in, grasping his Saber.

“Begin!” Aerith called out.

Immediately Tory was swarmed by his opponents, each rushing him with their own techniques. Zidane charged at him with blades drawn, Trance activated and ready to unleash powerful skills. Naruto opened up with his signature attack and bore down on the lone fighter with hundreds of himself. Zero merely stood at the back and watched the battle open.

Tory saw each of these moves coming, having knowledge on how these fighters went about things. He started by creating a clone of himself to meet Zidane in a dagger fight, then swung his blade outward, pushing his magic into the attack and causing a wave of fire and ice shards to fly out, striking the many Naruto clones and dispelling them. Then with a new opening the human spawned a third him and sent it after Zero.

Aerith watched on with a smile as she saw his tactics. Dividing the opponents so he could handle each of them one at a time, starting with Naruto who she assumed was his biggest threat. Having watched Tory for some time now, she had an understanding of how he worked. He knew his limits and planned to strike against his opponents with not brute force or ability, but with his mind.

Tory's first clone rushed Zidane quite openly, having perfected the ways to best the thief. The human simply had to catch him off-guard, and victory was within grasp. The clone reached out with a hand that glowed silver, and Zidane's Trance appearance started fading back to his normal look. He felt his power fall sharply back to it's normal scope, and just as quick saw how the clone began to glow entirely. He was draining his energy!

The one that rushed Zero was destroyed almost instantly upon reaching it's target. But during the rush it had taken a few precautions that would make the fight with the Reploid easier when the time came. Having the knowledge of your opponents is quite useful beforehand, and Tory used it effectively with his clone.

The copy had charged at the Reploid with daggers drawn, hoping to make Zero tire with his blades, but that idea turned sour as immediately Zero had three mechanical dragonflies hovering near him. They fired off small volleys of energy rounds as they circled their user protectively, creating a pattern that was easy to dodge. No, what made it difficult was when the clone got close, he couldn't harm Zero as the dragonflies broke formation and took the attack, deflecting it and firing at him point blank.

The clone Tory had dodged this blast, but he could not inflict damage like this, and all the while Zero was simply watching, gathering info. Evidently he felt like the copy wasn't a threat, so he didn't need to do much yet. But Tory remained calm and used his powers to grab one and make it attack the others. When they dragonflies moved, they would cross each other at a certain interval, which the clone noticed and used to his advantage, making the flying turrets strike each other and crumble.

Zero smirked and pulled his blade out, rushing faster than Tory's copy assumed he was, and within an instant had destroyed the fake, his blade cleaving right through the center. The attack had been so fast, it was almost instant, and the strike itself had been quicker than that, for not a speck of blood came free before the clone was eliminated.

Meanwhile the original Tory was countering Naruto, who was still holding back by the looks of it. The ninja fought back, matching his sword blows with martial arts and countering with clones that would deliver weak punches. The winged-human could tell he was holding back because he'd seen Naruto use abilities far beyond the normal scope of others.

“Stop taunting me Naruto!” Tory shouted as he slew the last clone with a quick jab of his dagger. “You could easily fight me in Sage Mode, and you still haven't used your other skills...”

“I don't need them!” Naruto grinned, hurling a couple kunai at him as he charged forward. “You're not so tough!”

“Best prove him wrong...” Tory thought as he tossed his knives into the air.

The winged-human unsheathed his sword and placed the hilt in his mouth, followed by catching his daggers and holding them all in a battle pose. Using all three of his bladed weapons should get him a win, if only he could tell which Naruto was the original. For now, he had about ten rushing at him.

The human propelled himself at the mass of clones, shredding the first into three pieces with his dagger and using the blade in his mouth to pierce one to the side with a flick of his neck. He kicked another in the stomach and twirled one of his knives, proceeding to fling it at the clone. The small blade sunk into his throat all the way to the hilt. Tory dodged a swift blow from another clone with a roll and grabbed his knife. As he stood up he saw the remaining seven clones had surrounded him.

Tory smirked and tossed the daggers into air, gripping his blade in both hands instead of his mouth. The clones swarmed at him a second later, and that was when the human struck. He spun in a large circle rapidly, creating a whirlwind effect, his sword slicing all the clones that were caught and swept into the now hurricane force winds. The original Naruto watched with a confident grin, which turned to surprise as the last of his clones was dispelled as Tory shredded it.

The blonde stepped forward and decided perhaps it was time to get serious. He looked back at a clone he made when the battle began, which had been storing a special energy the entire fight. It sat there with a red tinge around it's closed eyes. Naruto dispelled the clone and received that energy, gaining the same tinge around his own eyes, which turned his pupils into wide, flat bars.

"Went Sage mode eh?" Tory grinned, catching his daggers and sheathing them. "Finally gonna take me seriously?"

"Yeah, I wanna fight now!" Naruto shouted, creating a clone that began to focus energy around one of his hands.

"The infamous rasengan..." the winged-human thought to himself, sheathing his sword as well. "Best fight back with my own ninjutsu..."

Tory made a few handsigns, bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood, and slammed the same hand onto the ground. A giant cloud of smoke appeared, obscuring the area in a weak shroud. Everything went silent for a few seconds as the smoke dissipated. When it vanished, Tory stood there with a pack of wolves around him. They each varied in size, some no more the size of pups, others as large as a cow. Yet all of them had the same viscous look in their eyes, the same sharp fangs and claws, the same protective pose as they stood on all sides of their summoner, their intense, yellow eyes locked not only on Naruto, but on Zero and Zidane as well.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Wolf Clan Wall" Tory said, standing up and sending his challenging glare to each of his opponents.

"Big deal!" Naruto scoffed, his rasengan ready. He charged forward, poised to strike the winged-human. "A bunch of wolves ain't gonna-"

Naruto's eyes widened, for as he rushed forward, Tory snapped his fingers. One of the cubs vanished and reappeared before the ninja's face, a very sharp claw poised to slash him. Naruto barely had time to finish saying "-stop me?" as the cub spun and struck him hard. He went reeling off to the side, clutching his cheek where three deep gouges could be seen.

“These wolves aren't like the summons you're accustomed to Naruto,” Tory smirked. “They are my own personal creations. They have an intellect that could rival that of Zidane over there, and are at least twice as fast as he is.”

“I don't think that's saying much about how smart they are then,” Aerith giggled.

“What does that mean?!” the thief shouted in protest. “Are you calling me stupid?!”

“No no, not at all!” the Ancient laughed, running in the opposite direction.

“You there, Zidane,” Zero called out, grabbing his attention. “Focus on the fight...”

“Yeah yeah...”

Zidane had managed to defeat the clone of Tory, who had gone down relatively quick. Although the actions the copy took had drained the thief of all his powers. He could not go trance, and his others abilities felt weakened. Perhaps that had been the plan the whole time? Quick wits seemed to be something Tory had at times, and those were usually in the heat of battle.

“I think I can anticipate this guy now,” Zero mused, having observed Tory throughout the fight, even when taking care of his own clone.

The Reploid nodded to Zidane, and they both rushed at the original Tory, which was focused deeply on his battle with Naruto. They circled around to the sides, and charged in, blades ready to take the victory. Tory's wolves howled and snarled at the newcomers, but they continued to advance. With a snap of his fingers, Tory commanded the wolf clan to counter.

Each of them moved blindingly fast, vanishing for an instant and appearing around the two fighters, five wolves to each one, leaving Tory to fight Naruto with four other wolves. Zidane tried to strike at the wolves but found his daggers countered from his hands, and his body was bitten down on quickly, disabling him. Zero on the other hand, simply smirked, jumped, and gripped his saber in both hands.

“Sentsuizan!” the Reploid shouted as he kicked off the air somehow and propelled himself downward diagonally, slashing through three of the wolves that he had seen coming. His Z-Saber rent through their flesh and bones almost as if they were nonexistent.

“Ivan! Isaac! Igneel!” Tory shouted as he heard the wolves howl in pain before vanishing in a poof of smoke, leaving a small splash of blood where they had been.

“Gotcha!” Naruto roared as he slammed his fist into Tory, knocking him to the ground where his blades scattered to each side and his summons vanished, no longer sustained by a constant flow of energy.

“G-Gah!” the winged-human cried, feeling his back tweak from the impact.

Zero simply continued forward, but now his course carried him to Zidane. The Reploid moved to his side and picked him up, carrying him to Aerith. As he did all this he kept an eye on the fight. Naruto was steadily striking Tory where there were openings, and there were many by the looks of things. This fight would be over quick he figured...

Tory thought he was fast, his fights with Zidane made him think so. But when compared to the lightning quick reflexes and attacks of Naruto, the winged-human felt as though his speed was nothing once more. He could not keep up, nor could he counter for each move he made was reversed against him. It was almost as if Naruto could predict his next action.

“I need to think...” Tory mused as he blocked a kick to the head but was then punched in his stomach, sending him dragging in the dirt backwards. “GAH!! If only I was faster! I would.... That's it!”

Tory stood up and closed his eyes, crossing his arms in an x shape across his chest with his palms open and facing behind him. He glowed silver for a mere second before he dropped the pose and leered at Naruto. They locked eyes for a moment, and yet so much was said. Tension was high before, but now it was almost suffocating.

“Your attacks were fast... far faster than mine,” Tory admitted with a grin. He entered a battle stance and his eyes turned into silver discs. “But now I shall fight your speed with my own. No longer is strength a factor... only agility.”

“Bring it then!” Naruto challenged, rushing forward quickly.

Zero saw an opportunity to end this and entered the fray, moving to strike the winged-human from behind. One would strike, and the other counter if Tory dodged. It would've worked, had the human not vanished a half second before the first attack. Naruto's punch was now aimed for Zero, who blocked with the hilt of his blade and flipped over his ally so they were back to back.

Zero closed his eyes and concentrated, used the knowledge he gained to predict Tory's next move. It took him only a half second to realize it and look up. But in that half second, the winged-human had already bore down upon the duo, his wings looking sharper than before. The Reploid had barely any time to push Naruto out of the way and sidestep himself, but even still he had part of his arm grazed, and that had hurt incredibly much.

“W-Woah...” the ninja stammered, seeing Zero's pain. “That was... fast.”

“Extremespeed phase one...” Tory said quietly, mostly to himself. “Phase two, engage.”

The winged-human vanished and the duo had to not blink to prevent themselves from thinking he had never been there. Suddenly Zero felt a hand on his helm, and reflexively he struck out with his sword, only to hit air. He felt a sharp pain in his back and his body shot forward at impressive speeds. Naruto had just barely seen the strike Tory had delivered. Was this what he was truly capable of?

“Zero!” the ninja yelled, calling out for his teammate. “Can you stand?!”

“D-Damn... that was faster than I anticipated!” the Reploid whispered to himself. “But... That attack was vicious, not with a heart. Perhaps acquiring this power has altered Tory's mental state?..”

“I'll kill you all here and now...” Tory said calmly and with a strong hint of malice in his voice.

“Tory stop this!” Aerith shouted at him, seeing something she didn't like in his eyes. “You're taking this too far!”

I.I.I

“So what happened next?” Twilight Sparkle pressed, now writing on a blank roll of parchment since her notepad had run out.

“At that moment,” the winged-human started. “Zero said-”

“TORY I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!”

“No he didn't say that,” the human chuckled. After a few seconds he realized who shouted that and stood up quickly. “Who said that?!”

The door to the library burst open, the wooden frame flying off it's hinges and smashing into the wall. Everyone turned and saw a lone figure within the doorway, a human with eyes that shone blood red. He held a sword that spiked out at points and twisted in an evil way. He gave a dark laugh as he entered the room.

“It's been far too long... Tory,” Discord/Eric chuckled, his face a twisted smile that showed the true evil underneath. “So long, that I feel it's time I killed you! After all, it's only fair since you LOCKED AWAY MY POWERS!!!”

“Oh.... Shit.” Tory said as he stared death in the eyes.

Author's Note

I know, not exactly my best ending or anything... Anyways, I've had the worst mental blocks as of late, and distractions galore. Sorry about that.... I'll try to get on it. Now if you the fans want me to be quicker about posting, let me hear it! Review, comment, say what you will! I want to hear the good, the bad, the freaking pony whatever! Give me some support so I can get the juices flowing people! I need to know what you like and hate so I can make things better for you all! So get to reviewing!

Warzone

"Warzone"

"AGES HIGH!!" Tory roared as he attacked.

The winged human jumped upward at impressive speeds, his blade charged with lighting and poised to strike Discord, still wearing the body of Eric. Tory swung his broadsword in an arc over his head, hoping to shock his opponent with the electricity coursing through the blade. But his mortal enemy simply deflected the assault with his new O-Katana, and moved for a body slam.

Tory moved with the deflection, using his wings to give him a push and dodge the counter. He turned and performed a spin kick, to which Discord grabbed his ankle. Then the demonic human swung his held opponent over his head and threw him to the ground below. The winged human spread his wings out entirely and caught himself, landing and pressing a finger to his collar, activating a small microphone.

"Bravo, Charlie, Delta!" he shouted into it. "Report! How are your ends?!"

"Bravo Squad has evacuated everypony to a safe location outside of Ponyville!" another Tory responded through the ear receiver the original wore.

"Charlie Squad has encased the town in a barrier!" a second clone answered as well. "We are adding layers as we speak!"

"Delta is still converting the Mane Six!" a third spoke up, sounding exhausted. "We need an estimated three minutes!"

"Delta Squad, you've got two and a half!" the original Tory shouted, avoiding a blast of concentrated magic from Discord. "Argh! Echo, Foxtrot! Give me some good news!"

"Echo is in position!"

"Foxtrot Squad has send out two now! Assume all unknowns are tangos unless they respond 'Shades'!"

"Two?" the original Tory thought, bringing his sword up to block a strike. "I hope they get here soon... I can't win at the rate I'm expending energy!"

The winged human jumped back and tossed his sword upward, bringing his hands up to his face and crossing his arms, palms facing outward to the opposite arm's shoulder. It was his new spellcasting stance. He glowed a faint silver, which turned gold and then purple.

The sky darkened for an instant, and Discord looked up to see a massive god-sword composed entirely of golden energy. He sent a short burst of energy to his legs as he kicked off, propelling him backwards and out of the impact radius of the sword.

The demonic human watched as the golden god-sword made contact with the ground, but instead of a burst of energy like he expected, it merely phased through the ground and vanished. It had been a ruse! And that was when Discord felt a hand grasp him on the shoulder from behind. He looked back and saw Tory there, who was glowing dark purple.

"Umbra Ragnarok..." the winged human muttered as he gripped his enemy tight, broadsword held to his captive's neck.

"Ragnarok as in..." Discord muttered, starting to realize something.

He looked over at where the illusion god-sword had been, and put the final piece together, casting his eyes upward at the sky which darkened once more. The dark storm clouds overhead began to circle about, making a vortex that started to pulse with a visible amount of power. Finally a god-sword emerged, except this one looked like it was real. It had many cracks and gauges down it's length, and glowed the same shade as Tory.

"You plan on killing us both?" Discord scoffed, looking over his shoulder at the human that angered him so.

"I have no intention of dying." the winged human replied, smirking.

"Then you can become a part of me instead!" the demonic one laughed, his back liquifying.

Tory felt himself being pulled toward Discord, his body slowly sinking into that of his enemy's. He was being assimilated! Without hesitating, he sheathed his sword and pulled out a knife. He raised the small blade above his head and swung down, slicing his own wrist and severing his hand from his arm. Tory jumped back and gasped, falling to one knee while clutching what remained of his wrist.

"A bold move, cutting your own hand off to escape my absorption." Discord smirked, his body slowly rising into the air as he gripped his O-Katana in one hand. "Now you shall feel the cold embrace of death..."

Tory watched as the demonic human held up his empty hand and stopped the fall of the Umbra Ragnarok. Then the blade began to sink into him, and Discord glowed a dark purple, which turned black. This was very bad... He had just absorbed all the power Tory had spent in summoning what he had hoped would weaken his foe.

"TIME TO DIE!!!" Discord/Eric roared, bringing his blade upward.

"BLIZZAJA!!!" came the royal and majestic voice of Luna.

At that instant, three massive and crystal-shaped glaciers fell from the sky and slammed into the demonic human, knocking him to the ground. An instant later he was struck by a barrage of lighting bolts, and then a powerful inferno that seemed as though it came from Hell exploded around him.

If one could hear through the ice that shattered like glass, through the ear-splitting hisses of lighting and the roaring explosions, they would hear the screams of agony that erupted from Discord's mouth. It was a sickening cry, and Tory had to avert his eyes, lest he take pity upon that monster.

"TORY!!!" came Fluttershy's voice.

The winged human turned towards her, and was quickly tackle-hugged by her. She nuzzled and kissed him repeatedly, not letting up until the others had arrived. It was then that Luna, Rainbow Dash, and Octavia glomped him onto his back once more. Fantasia and Twilight came up as well, but kept their distance so that the lovers could have their moment.

"We were so worried!" Rainbow cried into his shoulder.

"Stop being so reckless!" Octavia sobbed, clinging to his arm.

"I'm sorry..." Tory apologized. He then looked them over and grinned. "Are you all wearing what I think you are?"

Luna wore a deep blue robe that had a large collar which hid half her face and covered all of her body except for her wings. She had on a wide and tall straw had cast a dark shadow over her face so only her eyes could be seen. It was tilted back a little though because of her horn. She carried a wooden staff in her magic, one with a crescent moon on top. Behind her, Fantasia wore the same outfit, except her staff had a castle in place of a moon. Luna had a deep blue aura around her, almost hidden by the robes, while Fantasia had a cloudy white one that stood out against her garments.

Fluttershy had on white robes with red trimming that covered her entire body as well, except for her wings. In place of a straw hat, her robes had a hood that went over her mane. It came out through the front where gravity claimed it, and her ears twitched cutely under the hood. She also carried a staff, except hers curled forward into a large spiral of wood. If one looked closely, they would see a faint yellow gold aura on the staff.

Rainbow Dash wore silver blue robes, or at first they were. They were very slowly changing colors if one took the time to notice. They changed to every shade of the rainbow, and back to silver. She had a large red hat that was rounded at the top with a single white star in the front. It was tilted to one side and looped around one of her ears. She carried no staff, but one could see a multicolored rainbow aura about her.

Octavia was wearing a light blue traveling cloak, with a deeper blue garment under it. She caught Tory's gaze and looked away, blushing faintly. One ear was pierced and had her cutie mark hanging from it. The cellist shuffled her hooves a little, pulling her cello close and hiding behind it somewhat.

Twilight Sparkle wore a large red cloak with white trimmings. She had on black boots, and sported a red cap with a white feather sticking out. She grinned over at Tory, tipping her hat at him then looking around to inspect any damage.

"Those outfits are..." Tory started.

"I'm a... Um, Black Mage?" Luna said, looking unsure. Tory nodded and chuckled, making her realize something. "Hey! You called me a Black Mage a while back!"

"And it works for you!" the winged human laughed kindly, hugging her again. "After all, you look beautiful in that outfit and you saved my life with that Blizzaja!"

"What about me?" Fantasia asked, then tried to hide under her hat when his gaze turned to her. "I mean um... I helped too..."

"Did you cast the Thundaja?" Tory questioned. He continued when the cloudy white unicorn nodded. "You did great. Thundaja is a hard spell to work, and you pulled it off flawlessly."

"But flawless isn't enough to kill me!"

Everypony and Tory turned around to see Discord climb from a small crater within the ground. He looked almost pitiful in Eric's body. His clothes were scorched and barely clinging to him. Small bolts of electricity shot from one part of his body to another, making him shake violently. At the end of his short hair, he had icicles forming, with his skin a sickly blue. The demonic human panted with the effort, and was leaning on his staff heavily.

"You can't kill me so easily..." Discord growled.

"Damn..." Tory thought, grasping his sword in his off-hand. "This is gonna be bad."

"Tory, you can't fight him like that," Fluttershy whispered, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "You need to-"

"Hyah!" Tory shouted suddenly, his severed arm held out from his side.

With a sickening 'shlick', Tory grew a new hand. It shot. Out from his arm rapidly, covered in blood. He panted after his little exertion and knelt down, unable to keep his balance after using so much of his remaining energy for a task his magic wasn't up to take. Everypony and Discord stood there looking at him, surprised that he was able to do such a feat as that.

"... I-Impressive Tory," Discord smirked eventually, overcoming his surprise first. "But it seems that you merely drained yourself of everything. You cannot stand, let alone fight me. Now I'll kill you!"

The demonic stepped forward, raising his O-Katana above his head. Luna rushed at him, prepared to stile him with her staff, but he easily batted her aside and knocked her down. Fantasia used her magic to slam the castle staff against him. Discord caught it in his free hand, and lighting shot out of it, sending massive jolts down his arm. With a roar of rage and pain he let go and stepped forward, backhanding the cloudy white unicorn into a building.

"ENOUGH STALLING!!!" the demonic human shouted angrily. "All of you are going to die!!"

"Stop!!" Rainbow shouted, flapping her wings with her aura flaring up.

Rainbow Dash's aura glowed sparked to life, and a faint orb of light emerged from her circlet. It made it's way to the demonic human, and though he tried to bat it aside, the orb continued on, phasing through his hand. It reached his chest and turned into a floating clock with both hands spinning rapidly. Yet they began to slow down and eventually stop. Discord simply stood there, unmoving and frozen under the spell that had stopped all the time around him.

Rainbow rushed past him, making her way to Luna and Fantasia. Yet as she moved to his side, the demonic human came back to life and grabbed her around the neck. The blue pegasus yelped and squirmed in his hold. She kicked and batted at him with her hooves, yet Discord would not relinquish his grip. Once, Rainbow Dash even tried magic but her attacker simply laughed and squeezed her neck tighter, slowly choking Tory's wife and killing her concentration.

"You may be a Time Mage," Discord smirked, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "But you don't know all the rules yet. Tory must have forgot to mention that Haste and Slow cancel each other out."

"B-But I used... Stop!" the rainbow-maned Pegasus coughed out.

"Oh? I didn't notice," the demonic human laughed. "Probably because I'm Discord, ruler of chaos! Your rules don't apply to me!"

"Likewise..."

Rainbow's attacker turned around to find a fully healed and VERY angry Tory leering at him, daggers at his neck and back. There was a moment of silence that lasted for an hour, until finally the winged-human struck, his small blades lancing through their target rapidly. Each pierce brought a pained grunt from Discord, who found himself unable to act. His body felt shockingly cold and slow, yet his thoughts raced along trying to make the muscles he had stolen from Eric respond.

Tory pulled his daggers back and spun around, smashing his heel into the demonic human's stomach. Discord released his grip on Rainbow Dash, and was sent flying into an empty home nearby. But it wasn't over yet, at least one human didn't think so. He tossed his daggers skyward, and entered his spellcasting stance once more. His aura flared brightly and the ground shook violently. Tory brought his hands forward, palms facing outward and aimed at the building Discord had crashed into.

"ADAMANTINE SPIRE!!!" the winged-human roared loudly.

From the collapsed home emerged a massive spike of deep green crystal. Debris flew everywhere as the spire grew upward and out rapidly. Tory gasped for air, yet his aura remained active, and the tower continued to rise. Everypony there looked on as it's ascent slowed, and eventually stopped. They were amazed that such a power existed, but what really held their attention was the figure within. Trapped inside the adamantine spike was Discord, his expression one of pain. He looked as though he had been pierced through the back, for his body arced forward and was facing up.

"Is..." Rainbow Dash started, getting to her hooves. "Is he dead?"

"N-Not even... Close," Tory gasped, on one knee.

The winged-human got to his feet slowly, his legs shaking from the effort. He held his hands out to the side, and his daggers descended from the sky. Tory caught them and placed the blades in their sheaths, his eyes never leaving Discord for even a moment. Panting heavily, the human stumbled over and rested his hand against the durable crystal.

"S-Still takes a lot out of me.." he said breathlessly. After taking a swig of a thick liquid from a bottle in his pocket, Tory pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Glad I... Brought a few potions along just in case... All squads, report."

"Bravo Squad is keeping a perimeter around the citizens," a clone responded, sounding tense. "We're still on the lookout for Discord should something happen."

"Charlie Squad is moving in with the barrier to minimize expended energy, and isolate the spire." a second informed. "I... I can feel the malice from here. How much did we underestimate him?"

"Too much," the original answered back. He opened his comm link and spoke again. "Delta, what is your status?"

There was static on the other end as Tory tuned to their frequency. It lasted for a few seconds before going silent, and starting up again. Through the white noise, the winged-human thought he heard dark laughter, and then a loud groan. A shiver went down his spine as the ear piece began to return a voice.

"I-It was a trap," the clone on the other end gasped out, his voice on the verge of death. There was a bit of coughing and he started again. "Engage... E-Echo... D-Discord is-UGH!"

"...Delta?" Tory whispered, fearing the worst. "DELTA, RESPOND DAMNIT!!!"

"Your little plan failed Tory," came the voice of Discord on the other mic. "Your little Delta Squad is dead and gone. And don't worry, Echo is next."

Static replaced the malicious voice, and the winged-human remained silent. He removed his finger from the ear piece, and looked at the others with him. His face looked so grave at first, but then he broke out in laughter. His wives and Fantasia looked at him incredulously. They had no idea what Tory had heard, but he had been deathly serious. Now suddenly he was laughing as though he had won. Luna was the first to speak their thoughts.

"T-Tory... Why are you..." she trailed off.

"Heheheheh! Because we won!" he declared. "Dopey Discord attacked Delta Squad right?"

"Uh, yes?" Rainbow confirmed, unsure where this was going.

"Delta Squad was a trick," Tory grinned. "They were a group that LOOKED like they were doing something important, but were really part of our plan in case our idiot enemy had something up his sleeve, which he did."

"But... In what manner did we win?" Octavia inquired.

"Alright," the winged-human started. "Let me run you through our plan one last time..."

I.I.I Ten minutes ago. I.I.I

"TORY I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" Discord roared, his blade brandished and aimed at the winged-human.

"Oh shit..."

The demonic human rushed forward, charging right for his nemesis. Tory's new reflexes caused him to jump, his wives in his arms to pull them from harm's way. He landed on the other side of the Library's main room, depositing the girls and turning back to face his enemy. With a flash of magic, the golden sword he wielded came to existence, the rubies ingrained in it's hilt and blade glowing fiercely.

"You'll not best me today, monster!" Tory spat, getting into an attack stance. "I can feel your magic, it is still sealed!"

As he finished that sentence, Discord vanished in the blink of an eye. The winged-human brought his blade up and moved his palm along it's length. The ruby began to shine radiantly, and the scent of earth filled the air. Tory's eyes began to glow silver, as did his body. Soon the entire room was a cross between pure red and silver. The others could only watch, the massive level of power emanating from their friend actually pressing down on them as though the gravity had multiplied ten fold.

"Rise of the Seventh Sector!!" Tory roared, twirling his blade in one hand.

He held the broadsword over his head and it flashed golden, then red, and lastly silver. The energy around the group vanished, and smoke replaced their visions. Discord's voice was heard giving off a weak cry of pain right before a loud crashing noise came from the side of the building. The sound of many footsteps could be heard going in that same direction, and everypony there began to wonder what was happening. The smoke slowly began to clear, and the group looked about.

The entire library was a mess, with books littering the floor, a giant gaping hole in the wall, and dust in the air. Around each member of the group were at least three copies of Tory, with Luna, Octavia. Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy having at least fifteen copies around them. The sounds of a massive fight grabbed their attention. Twilight moved to go after Discord, but one Tory stopped her.

"No, I've got a plan," he started."I need each of you to stay here while I buy some time."

"What did you do?" the purple unicorn inquired.

"I made a clone army of myself," the winged-human smirked. "Not enough to obliterate that monster, but enough to weaken him and buy time for the most intricate plan I've ever had. But for it to work I need each of you to follow my instructions."

"What do you need of us?" Luna asked, stepping forward.

"All of us here are clones," Tory mentioned, motioning to each of the copies. "Me included. We're the part of Sector Seven known as Foxtrot Squad. Our job is to protect and empower each of you so that Discord is not only outnumbered, but outclassed as well."

"How are all of us supposed to get stronger than..." Rainbow trailed off, looking out the hole and seeing a war zone.

There was a massive cloud of dust that blocked what each of them assumed was the real Tory and Discord. The residents of Ponyville were scrambling to get away, other clones leading them to safety. The sky began to darken, the immense levels of power and energy drawing clouds toward the epicenter of the battle. Rainbow suppressed a shiver of fear.

"Simple," the clone Tory began, smiling as he gave his hand to the blue pegasus. "We're going to unlock your hidden potential, give it form, and teach you how to use it."

"But how're you gonna-" the rainbow-haired mare asked but was cut off as the clone pulled her close and rested a hand on her head.

There was a flash of silver energy, followed by a burst of prismatic light around Rainbow Dash. Everypony, the clones, and Cory had to shield their eyes from the intensity or risk going blind. The sound of many ticking clocks were heard, until it was the only sound they all thought existed. Eventually the ticking faded, and the light waned. Each member of the group opened their eyes and gasped when they saw the blue pegasus. Now, she was clothed in the garments of a Time Mage.

"Uhn..." Rainbow groaned, raising a hoof to her head in a daze. She noticed her clothing and her eyes grew wide. "W-Wha-?! What is this?"

"Looks like you're a Time Mage," the clone Tory grinned, looking her over with a drained expression. "Fitting for a speedy daredevil like yourself."

"Wait, you called her a Mage," Twilight pointed out, frowning.

"Mages are unicorns only," Trixie commented, stepping forward with a semi-confident look in her eyes. "Even Trixie knows that. And time magic? Trixie does not mean to be rude but... Not even Twilight Sparkle, Trixie's rival, can manage such a feat."

"Heheheheh, normally that would be the case," the Delta leader began. "But with Maker Magic, I can tap into Rainbow's DNA, bringing forth any and all unicorn connections from her ancestors. Once it's active in her, Dashie here can use magic, even without a horn. She doesn't know HOW yet, but with my guidance I should be able to teach her quickly, and time spells will come flying out of her like clockwork, pun intended."

"So you're gonna teach me how to beat Discord with Time Magic?" Rainbow Dash asked, a confident glint in her eyes.

"Not just you Dashie," the clone Tory replied, looking at everyone within the room. "I am going to grant each pony here skills that would enable them to stand up to Discord. Since you will all be something I am familiar with, odds are he will know how to counter you. That's why you can't ever travel alone until we know FOR SURE that he's dead. That bastard won't be able to withstand the different types of onslaught."

"So..." Octavia began hesitantly. "You intend to enhance all our capabilities?"

"Exactly, my sweet Bard,~" the Delta leader nodded with a loving tone as he spoke. "Each of you here can grow even more powerful. And the skills you learn from me will probably tie into your own amazing abilities. Then we'll split into groups and hunt down Discord."

"One question though," Twilight spoke up again, stepping forward. "What about all those other clones? Surely your plan has more than just making us stronger..."

"Very astute Twilight," Tory grinned. "As I said, the clones here are part of Sector Seven, more specifically we are the Delta Squad. There is also Bravo and Charlie Squad. Bravo is in charge of the evacuation, making sure everypony in town gets away safely. Charlie is setting up a forcefield around the fight to contain damage, which should minimize casualties. I know there are more squads but they were made after us, so I am unaware of their orders. We were tasked with empowering you, and that is what we plan to do."

"If you could guess, how many others would there be?" the purple unicorn pressed.

"I'd wager there are Echo and Foxtrot Sqauds," the clone shrugged. "Probably taking care of other things to boost our chances."

"Bravo, Charlie, Delta!" the original Tory called out through his mic.. "Report! How are your ends?!"

"Bravo Squad has evacuated everypony to a safe location outside of Ponyville!"

"Charlie Squad has encased the town in a barrier! We are adding layers as we speak!"

"Delta is still converting the Mane Six!" the clone before them answered wearily. "We need an estimated three minutes!"

"Delta Squad, you've got two and a half!" came the original's reply.

“Understood!” the Delta leader confirmed, looking to the other Squad members. “Alright, you heard me! Finish converting and dispel!”

“Dispel? But wouldn't going out there to join the fight be better?” Luna inquired.

“If we had the energy to act that would be better,” Tory sighed, his exhaustion from the conversion on Rainbow Dash evident. “But as you can see, I'm pretty weak after doing what I did for Dashie. The other clones here will be tired too. The most we could do after making each of you stronger is either teach you by transferring the knowledge, which will drain the clones, or dispelling and giving the original back the power used to make us. You can see how many clones are here...”

Luna nodded as a couple other clones began to work on everypony within the Library. One copy took Cory into a different room, something that the dark alicorn noted but let slide. Instead she turned her attention to the rest of her comrades, detailing how Twilight glowed red, Fluttershy glowed a golden white, Octavia a stark blue with the sound of music about her, and even her own pupil Fantasia seemed to be engulfed in a cloudy white light.

“So, what are they changing to?” the dark alicorn asked the Delta clone leader that was sitting beside her.

“Well, from the looks of it,” the copy Tory began pointing to the Element of Magic. “Twilight looks like a Red Mage. She'll be able to do all sorts of spells. Fitting... Fluttershy seems to be a White Mage, meaning she can cast healing spells. Fantasia, she'll be a Black Mage it seems.”

Immediately the clone broke into a fit of laughter, making his wife fall over in surprise. She watched him for a few seconds before getting up and leering at him suspiciously. Tory just broke into another burst of crazy chuckling when he saw her expression.

“I-I'm sorry!” he laughed. “Just... Just you'll see!”

The ground shook violently, grabbing everypony's attention. A clone that had finished converting Pinkie stepped over to the gaping hole in the wall and gasped. He looked over and the expression on his face sent a cold chill down the clone leader's spine.

“The Original is using Umbra Ragnarok!” the scout shouted. “Estimated time of impact within thirty seconds!”

“Alright, we're breaking now!” the Delta Squad leader ordered, standing up. “Raven, I want you to lead everypony out of here! Most of you haven't learned your new skills yet, so you're not combat ready! Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fantasia, Fluttershy, Luna, and Octavia. You six head over to the main battle and guard the Original! Mobilize!”

Everypony began to evacuate the Library in a haste. Many clones formed a perimeter around Raven and the others, acting as the first defense against possible attacks. Tory's wives, Fantasia, and Twilight made their way out the hole in the wall and rushed to the site of the battle. Before they could get far though, Discord came up with a malicious grin. He was different though. He wasn't in Eric's body now.

“Where do you think you little ponies are going?” he laughed in a dark voice.

“You don't scare us!” Rainbow Dash challenged. “You don't even have that one person anymore!”

“I do so like my chaotic skin better,” the demon chuckled, looking over his body and admiring the imperfections. “Chaos is a wonderful thing!”

“DARK MAGIC ATTACK!!!” came a deep voice from nearby.

There was a strange pulse of magic, followed by Discord changing to warped colors, and shattering like glass. The girls looked around for the one that had shouted, and two figures came forward. One looked like another human, but his hair spiked out everywhere in different colors and he was somewhat tall. He wore blue pants and a blue jacket over a black shirt. Around his neck was a strange triangular object bearing a strange eye in the center. On his left arm was a strange device, holding a card deck in the center, with one on the flat part of the device, and a few in his hand.

“Yugi Moto!” a clone Tory shouted. “What a 'Hollow' meeting...”

“Perhaps it will be better under the 'Shades' of a tree,” the human grinned at him. “Worry not, I am no enemy.”

“No you are not,” the copy nodded, looking at the other figure. “Nor is your Dark Magician.”

The second figure regarded Tory with silence, giving only a nod. This one wore purple armor from head to foot, and carried a small, green staff. He had purple hair that hung down to his neck, and his eyes were a strong blue. He was also human... or at least he looked the part. He floated just inches above the ground, and was far taller than the other humans there.

“Um Tory?” Twilight started, stepping forward. “Who is this?”

“This is a human named Yugi Moto,” the clone explained. “He's a card duelist from.... GET DOWN!!!”

Every copy of Tory pushed everypony and Yugi to the ground. They held their places on the ground for a minute before they all looked up in confusion. One clone pressed his ear piece and called up another clone. There were a few seconds of silence as they all waited to hear what had happened.

“This is bad,” the leader told them. “Looks like the original Discord absorbed the Umbra Ragnarok... Yugi, can I get a favor from you?”

“What is it you need?” the duelist asked.

“The Magnet Warriors Alpha, Beta, and Gamma,” Tory answered. “And Celtic Guardian please.”

With a nod, Yugi pulled a few cards from his deck on the device and placed four onto the flat part. A few seconds later, four figures emerged around them. One that looked like a swordsman cloaked in green armor, a pink-ish figure, a yellow one, and a metallic one, although the pink and yellow ones were also composed of some metal material.

“Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Celtic Guardian, please heed the words of the one there.” Yugi said to the four creatures. “He and his friends need our help.”

“Very much we do,” Tory nodded. “Celtic Guardian, make towards the skirmish in the center of the town. Try to help the original me fight Discord. Alpha, I want you and your counterparts to split up and assist the other groups. Alpha, you're with Charlie Squad. Beta, with Echo Squad. And Gamma, you're with me.”

“What would you have of me?” Yugi asked as his summoned monsters split up and took off.

“Yugi, I need you to go around and look for civilians that couldn't escape in time.” the clone leader responded. “You probably won't need any help since you've got a whole deck to protect you. Scan around and find everypony you can that might be stuck or otherwise unable to get away.”

“Alright then,” the duelist nodded, and dashed away.

“Hrm...” the copy Tory began, adopting a thinking pose. “I've got a bad feeling....”

“About what?” Octavia asked, looking up at him from his side.

“The original me...” he answered. “We should send someone-”

At that moment, the clone fell to his knees, panting heavily. Fluttershy and the girls went to him quickly, the worry on their face evident. Tory looked up and gave them a grin, a strained one, but real nonetheless. He looked back to the library and chuckled, coughing as he tried.

“Looks like.... the plan worked,” copy Tory coughed. He turned to Luna and beckoned her closer. “Time to wrap things up...”

“What do you mean?” the dark alicorn questioned as she leaned in.

The clone grinned and kissed her quickly, catching the mare by surprise. There was a surge of energy and Luna felt herself growing stronger. Her vision began turning to that of her aura, then a faint silver light emerged in front of her. All feeling left the dark alicorn and as she blinked, her environment changed entirely.

Now she found herself floating in nothingness, an indigo nothingness. Luna looked about, wondering what was happening, when she saw a figure approaching her. She turned to them and after a few seconds saw that it was her husband Tory. She galloped over to him with a smile, hugging him tightly.

“Tory, what's going on?” she asked as her nuzzled into his shoulder. “I'm so confused...”

“I needed to talk with you alone for a minute,” he answered, stroking her mane gently. “This is a parallel mindframe I created with a bit of my remaining power. It's apart from the regular time around you.”

“I don't understand why.”

“Because you need to know,” Tory started, looking into her eyes, a serious appearance in his. “Things are about to get really rough.”

“What do you mean Tory?” Luna pressed.

“Delta Squad was also a ploy,” the winged-human told her. “To open up the potentials of everypony there would actually take no more than five minutes with one clone. But the Original had us act like we did to throw off Discord.”

“You're not making any sense,” the dark alicorn sighed, holding him tightly. “Didn't you chase Discord out of the Library?”

“Yes and no,” came the reply. “What I forced out of the Library WAS Discord... Now it's only a clone in Eric's body. During that initial scuffle when that monster vanished, he actually split himself from my friend, and placed a clone within the container. It was an attempt to throw me off. It almost worked, had I not been scanning for his energy...”

“But you said his power was still sealed!” Luna protested.

“I thought it was at first,” Tory shrugged. “But when he vanished I latched onto his energy signature and realized that he had cracked the barrier I set up in his mind. It's not a full break, but he's able to leak some energy through. That crack will grow though, and it did when I felt him absorb the Umbra Ragnarok. He turned the energy I spent against me...”

“Does that mean he can absorb all of your attacks?” the dark alicorn gasped.

“Only if he can match my aura down to it's very essence,” the winged-human answered. “If he had invaded my mind after I regained my own aura, he might be able to... No, the only reason he absorbed that attack was because it was impure. I used my energy in tandem with the excess energy he had spent.”

“Why? I don't understand.”

“So I could free Eric,” Tory said. “If my attack was absorbed, then it would enter Discord's mind. I put some of my being into that attack and he absorbed it, then I could find the barrier he cracked and reach in to pull Eric free.”

“You knew he would steal the energy?” Luna questioned as he smiled at him. “You're so smart.”

“Heh, I gambled on that one actually,” the winged-human chuckled, scratching behind his head, embarrassed. “I theorized he'd either absorb it, take the attack, or somehow deflect it. That I guess right amazes me...”

“Still, you are amazing,” the dark alicorn replied, kissing him.

“Regardless, I have to tell you my message.” Tory responded. “Like I said, that WAS Discord. Now the real one is in the Library.”

“But, wouldn't he have attacked us?”

“Not if he was possessing someone...”

Luna thought about this for a moment. She thought of each member of their group, and who would be easiest to gain control over. It wouldn't be Tory's wives, since their lover would place the highest amount of protection on them. Probably not one of the Elements of Harmony, since they would be very important if Discord was to be defeated. Then she recalled that a clone had pulled one figure away from the group...

“CORY!” she gasped.

“Exactly,” Tory nodded. “He has his own knowledge on many things that I don't know about. So Discord could use that and my friend against me...”

“That's horrible!” Luna protested. “How can he-”

“It's to try and stop me,” the winged-human cut her off. “But under no circumstances are you to go back there and challenge him, am I clear?”

“But-”

“No, you've got to help the original me,” Tory told her sternly. “I'm running low on power, and I won't last long.”

“What would you have me do?” Luna asked, looking into his eyes.

“Take the others, keep the real me alive,” he answered. “If the original me dies, then all the clones will vanish, and Discord will win.”

“But how can we-”

“You don't realize it, but your magic is stronger than ever.” Tory grinned, ruffling her mane. “When you emerge from this place, you'll find you have your potential unlocked as well.”

“But how will I use it?” the dark alicorn pressed,

“You'll know,” the winged-human answered, his voice fading slowly. “But time is running out... I've got one last thing to tell you...”

“W-What?” his wife stammered.

“Delta.... it's all a ploy,” Tory started. “Besides bringing all of you to your best, the clones are a trap. When they're alone with Discord, they'll try to seal him away fully. If that fails, they'll dispel and summon a sealing barrier around the Library...”

“What will that accomplish if Discord is getting his power back?” Luna asked.

“It's designed to sap his power very slowly without him knowing,” the winged-human human answered, his voice sounding like it was coming through a radio. “I've run out of energy... I gotta go. Get to the real me quick...”

And just as suddenly as it began, Luna found herself on the cold ground of Ponyville, the war around her raging in her ears once more. Tory's other wives and Octavia were shaking her, trying to wake the alicorn.

“LUNA WE HAVE TO GO!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted as the mare stood up. “DISCORD IS ATTACKING THE LIBRARY!!!”

“We've got to get to Tory!” Octavia called over an explosion that rocked the ground under them.

“Right, let's go!” Luna ordered, turning towards the battle in the center of town. “Tory needs us!”

I.I.I Current time, center of Ponyville. I.I.I

“So he's trapped in there right now?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah but probably not for long,” the real Tory said.

The group was in the clearing, taking a moment to go over the plan. Fluttershy was healing Tory the whole time, and he looked as if he hadn't fought today. The aura of power around him was stronger than ever. Everypony besides Fluttershy had trouble getting close to him, what with the gravitational force his energy radiated.

“What's our plan?” Octavia asked.

“I think it's time to go renegade,” the winged-human sighed. “No more plans, just action. We do what we feel. We're gonna kick logic to the curb and do the impossible!”

“What?!” Twilight gasped. “B-But logic is-”

“It's nice but on Earth, unicorns and pegasi and magic and all that are considered illogical.” Tory cut her off. “Same as portals, talking ponies, and monsters able to do just about anything. So I'm going to just act.”

Tory stood up and his form glowed for a second. He was wrapped in a white light which blinded the others, and as it faded they saw his clothing had changed. He now wore black pants with a silver shirt, combat boots, and a long black trench coat. On his right wrist was a leather bracer, on his left was a long black line that traveled up his arm. If one followed it they would see a tattoo that held a silver shield with four familiar cutie marks on it. Below the mark there were three symbols that said “VII”. Over Tory's back was a large bow and quiver while his sword and daggers were sheathed at his waist.

“Time for Silver to finish what he started,” Tory said, his eyes flashing the same color as his aura.

“Silver?” his wives and Octavia asked in unison.

“There is no Tory now, just Silver,” the winged human smiled at them. “It's high time I shed my old form.”

“So you're... Silver now?” Twilight looked at him.

“That's right,” he nodded to her. “But we'll talk more about this later. I've got a battle to finish.”

Silver dashed forward with lightning speed and took off into the air, causing a massive gust around where he was. The others looked after him, then at each other, and took off for the Library. It was obvious he intended to finish off Discord. They had to go and help him.

The winged-human arrived moments later and looked on. The Library was a complete mess, with holes dotting the entire tree. Books were strewn everwhere, and some ripped pages were littering the floor. Around the whole building was a faint silver glow, contesting to the barrier the defeated clones had summoned. With a smirk, Silver stepped inside and looked around.

Almost immediately the winged-human was greeted with a battle cry from above. Silver unsheathed his blade and looked up to see his friend Cory bring a massive war-hammer down to crush him. With only an instant to spare the attack was blocked by the flat of the blade, and the head of the massive weapon loomed over him.

“I'm surprised you came alone,” Discord/Cory smirked evilly. “And here I thought you were going to keep away, leaving me to rot inside this pathetic attempt at a seal!”

“We both know you'd have broken free within no time,” Silver countered calmly, lifting his knee up to catch his mortal enemy in the stomach.

“Ugh!” Discord grunted as he was then roundhouse kicked into a wall. He fell to his knees and cracked his neck. “Not bad Tory, you're getting better. Almost good enough to actually match my new strength.”

“I'm not Tory anymore,” the winged-human returned, stabbing the ground behind him with his blade. He turned back to Discord/Cory and started to glow once more. “I'm nothing like I used to be. And you'll find this next move will prove my point.”

“Oh I already know that stance you've taken,” the new demonic human laughed. “You forget, everything you know of, I know since I've watched all your memories. Anything you do, I have a counter for.”

“Oh, but then you know that this can't be countered,” Silver grinned, his hair starting to change color as well as his body.

“You going to go Super Saiyan,” Discord/Cory stated, climbing to his feet and gripping his war-hammer with both hands. “But you forget, I can power up as well. I know everything you know.”

The demonic human assumed the same stance and his orange afro began to glow golden. The area around them began to shake, and gravity seemed to almost change. The books scattered about began to levitate from the sheer level of energy. Discord/Cory gained a golden aura that flowed upward like a flame about his form, his hair acting similar and flowing upward with the immense power about him as his eyes changed to a greenish-blue.

“Heh, you're funny Discord,” Silver grinned, his body flashing golden before vanishing completely in an instant. “I never said I was going Super Saiyan...”

A massive bolt of purple lightning struck down where the winged-human had stood, and a dome of black energy appeared, expanding with small arcs of blue lighting about it. Another second later and the dome faded out of existence and there stood Silver, his hair glowing a yellow gold, his clothing even changing shade to match it.

“I was going Kaiser,” he finished, gripping his blade tightly in one hand. “Let me show you just what I can do!”

Without giving his enemy a moment to respond, Silver vanished in an afterimage. Discord/Cory would've looked around had the winged-human not reformed from the same afterimage right in front of him, lightning quick in his assault. Silver brought his broadsword down on the demonic human, slashing diagonally down his chest and leaving a deep wound there. He vanished in another afterimage and reappeared where he had started. It had taken mere seconds, but the whole event had dealt a devastating blow to it's target.

Discord/Cory stood there, looking down at his wound. Then he looked up and grinned at Silver, the bloody gash healing almost instantly and the crimson red that flowed down his body vanished. The winged-human looked at him calmly, and shrugged as he spoke.

“So you healed a small wound like that...” Silver laughed as he shook his head. “Don't get a big head, this is just the start of our fight.”

“So true,” Discord/Cory agreed, grabbing his war-hammer and hefting it up to his shoulder. “Then let's go from where we left off!”

With that said, the demonic human kicked off the ground in a rapid air dash, spinning with his weapon out to add an extra bit of power to the attack. Silver simply ducked, punched his enemy in the stomach, and rolled out of the way. Discord/Cory barely flinched from the punch and was already advancing on the Kaiser-formed human, his massive war-hammer raised for a heavy downward strike.

Silver gripped the back of his blade and held it before him, blocking the strike with the sharp of his sword. He grunted as he pushed hard against the weight that threatened to crush him. Being so close to such a deadly weapon, the winged-human could now look at the details of his enemy's weapon.

It was a sickly green, rough in shape with a large spike jutting from the top, and a ruby stone embedded within the side of the head. It was a large war-hammer, with a pole about three feet in length, and the top being half a foot that weighed a good ton to the one almost being crushed by it. Smaller spikes were protruding from the sides and the ends, the one that was aimed at it's target now digging into the broadsword.

“Prepare to lose everything to a single stroke of my hammer!” Discord/Cory roared loudly, increasing the weight of his assault.

“Not today!” Silver countered, vanishing in another afterimage, reappearing behind his enemy and slashing quickly.

As his blade made contact, the demonic human vanished as well. The winged-human's eyes widened and he quickly rolled forward, Discord's massive war-hammer smashing into the ground where he had been just an instant before.

“Tsk tsk tsk Tory,” the villain scolded evilly. “Did you really think that would work twice?”

“Like I said, my name isn't Tory anymore,” Silver replied, smirking as he crouched there, catching his breath.

“Then what is your new name?”

“...I'm Silver,” came the dark whisper behind the demonic human.

Discord/Cory had an instant to react, but it was not enough as the Silver in front of him vanished with a poof of smoke, and a sharp jolt of energy arced through his back. He looked over his shoulder to see eyes that glowed a metallic gray, angry yet full of heart. Slowly, the power that sustained the demonic human's form began to vanish, and the golden aura about his being diminished until it was no more.

Silver gripped his broadsword in both hands, letting his energy flow through the ruby strip along the golden metal that was slowly turning crimson with blood. He was exerting even more energy by causing lighting to flow into his sword and racing into Discord/Cory's body. It was a gamble, but if this worked he could pull that menace from his friend's body.

“Get out of my friend!!!” Silver roared, tossing his blade into the air and smashing a palm into the back of Discord/Cory's head.

A silver aura flared around his hand, and it seeped into it's target's skull, causing the demonic human's body to radiate the same shade of energy. It flared a few times, shifting to a blackish-purple, but it returned to silver just as quick. A roar of pain escaped Discord/Cory's mouth as two minds now fought to eliminate that of the Draconequus.

“Y-You... can't beat me... that... easily!” Discord shouted as he resisted the mind attack.

Silver continued to press his assault, letting his mind slam into that of his target, with that of Cory's striking from the other side as well. They continued their barrage until it seemed they had won. But right as they felt the power of Discord diminish to nothing, it flared up quickly. They had both attacked at that very instant, causing a massive surge in energy around them on the outside. But none of them noticed as everything turned black...

I.I.I Location: Unkown

It was odd, but Silver felt his body tingling. His head had this quiet buzz, with an incessant ringing in his ears. His mouth felt dry, and something smelt burnt. He tried to open his eyes, but found that even when he did nothing was presented before him He knew he wasn't in some parallel reality like when he was training. He could feel actual ground below him. Despite the tingling, the winged-human was able to feel some fabric under his hands. With a groan, Silver tried to sit up.

“Please don't push yourself too hard,” said a quiet voice nearby. It was female by the sound of it. “You fell pretty hard.”

“F-Fell?” Silver questioned, not sure what she meant.

“Yes, you hit your head when you fell from that big tree,” she answered.

“I don't...” he started, confused.

“You should rest more,” the voice said, closer now. Something warm and wet was placed on his forehead. “It hasn't been long since your heavy landing...”

“C-Cory...” Silver remembered, recalling his attempt to remove Discord from his friend's mind. “Where's....”

“I don't know who you mean,” the girl replied, slight confusion evident in her voice. “You were alone when you landed in front of me.”

That tore it for Silver. Ignoring the voice's protests, he rose to a sitting position, one harm against the ground behind him for support. With his free hand, the winged-human reached up and found a cloth tied around his head. He removed the fabric and opened his eyes once more, letting them adjust to the evident dim light within the room.

Silver found himself in what looked to be a small shack, falling apart badly. There were gaps in the wall that a cool breeze entered from, and the entire place looked to be of a slightly rusted metal. It was generic, but he understood that such was the way life could be. He turned to find the one that had helped him, and found something he had not expected.

Before him was indeed a girl, a human girl. She had black hair, dyed blue half way down to her locks that fell to her shoulders. She wore a simple black tee-shirt with standard blue jeans, and for some reason she had on sandals. She also wore glasses that magnified the size of her stark green eyes which showed a slight compassion that Silver understood.

“Please, you must rest more,” she stated, trying to push him back down gently.

“I can't,” Silver returned, pushing back and slowly getting to his feet. “I've got to find Cory. I've got to stop Discord...”

“You're in pain,” the green-eyed girl started.

At that very moment, the winged-human felt his head start to throb painfully. It ached horribly, and caused him to fall back onto the makeshift bed that had evidently been prepared for him. He clutched at the side of his skull where he felt the fire was strongest, and tried with all of his might to subdue the pain with his aura. Yet he felt none of his energy there, not even in the slightest.

“You see?”

“I... something isn't right here,” Silver started, still able to think despite the burning within his head. “That was... too coincidental to be true. A-And the fact that you're in Equestria confuses me to no end.”

“Equestria?” the girl asked, sounding genuinely confused. “You must have hit your head really hard. You're on Earth, not some horse world.”

Something snapped inside Silver and he grabbed the girl by her collar, bringing their faces together, his eyes screaming for blood as he stared into hers. He snorted once as he let his glare, his full anger sink into the moment. The girl flinched and had to look away after a few seconds.

“Never,” Silver growled in a low voice. “Insult Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Luna, or Octavia.”

With that he pushed the girl away, getting up and looking around. His clothing felt lighter than normal, and he looked down to see that he was wearing a normal white shirt with khaki pants. That worried him, because he needed his equipment if he was going to find Cory or take care of Discord.

“Where is my sword, or my bow?” he asked the girl. “Where is all of my equipment?!”

“Y-You didn't have a-any of that when you fell,” the girl stammered weakly, still down on the ground. “You only had what you've got n-now.”

“You're lying!” he roared at her, turning quickly as he shouted, making her flinch. “I don't know who you are but you're lying to me!”

“I-I-I'm not!” she cried out, covering herself with her hands.

Without another word, Silver stormed out of the shack, looking around to get a grasp of where he was. He saw a large town in the distance and looked back at the shack. He noted how generic that was and made his way for town, hoping to get some sort of clue as to his location.

I.I.I Ten Minutes Later

Stepping onto the sidewalk that presented itself before him, Silver noted that the city wasn't actually as large as he first thought it was. There were a few taller buildings, but not many. This place was more like a large town than a city. Walking up to a newsstand, he grabbed a copy of the latest newspaper and noted everything he could. What he saw did in fact make his eyes widen quickly.

The date on the paper said “March 21st, 2010”, and the town was one Silver knew of from a long time ago in his past. So he really was back on Earth... but then what did that mean for Cory? What about Discord, or his wives and Octavia? He had to get back to Ponyville, and quick.

Silver tossed the paper down and dashed into an ally, looking about to make sure nobody saw him. If he opened a portal right in front of anyone, there would be hysteria. The government would step in and who knows what would happen if they got a hold of the ponies of Equestria. Not to mention what Discord would do during all of that...

No, the best way to avoid any trouble was to keep these skills of his under wraps and if he needed to open a portal, than it would have to be in secret, just as Silver was about to do. He held out a hand and called upon his aura, expecting a portal to appear before him immediately. But after a good minute, nothing had appeared, not even his aura.

Silver tried time and again to call upon his powers, yet nothing happened at all. Then he noticed something horrible. His wings were gone! He hadn't payed them any attention at all since he had awoken, being so used to having them there he didn't even feel them anymore. It would also explain why none of the townspeople gave him odd looks.

Now in a slight panic, Silver looked at the scenario. He was on Earth with no wings, no magic, and Discord could be loose about in Cory's body destroying everything in Equestria. His wives and friends were stronger, but not enough to take down that villain. What were his options?

He could keep trying to use his powers, that was one of them. Maybe on Earth he needed to do something to call upon them. Like in Harry Potter or.... That's when it struck him! There was one way that was almost guaranteed to work, because it was such a common method, yet so forgotten in this day and age!

“How could I have forgotten the powers of incantations?!” Silver sighed to himself, feeling stupid. “Alright, just like in Negima...”

Silver held out his hand once more and concentrated on his aura, his power that he knew was tucked away somewhere in his mind. He grasped at something within and tugged hard, and suddenly felt knowledge unlock for him. His mind exploded with answers and he spoke quietly in a language he had never learned.

“Testor eorum est magica infra arcessentes Equestria portam!”

As he spoke, the pool of energy Silver knew he contained focused on his hand, and shot forward to the ground, a portal opening before him, the same color as his aura that now flowed about his body. He smiled as he understood what had happened. Just like how Fluttershy changed when she came to Earth, Silver did as well since he had powers. It was restricted, he could feel that much, but all of his magic was very much there.

“I wonder...” he thought aloud to himself. He focused the magic he could grasp around his body and spoke again in that other language. “Testor eorum ad vocandum mea magia infra alis argentum!”

The sound of ripping fabric could be heard as Silver's back arched forward, a sharp pain lancing through him. He fell to his knees and bit his lip, trying to quell the urge to scream in pain. It was so sudden, the lightning that raced through his back and threatened to consume him. Yet just as quickly, the pain vanished. All that remained was a slight throb on his back.

Getting to his feet, Silver looked over his shoulder and smirked. Though his clothes were ripped, he once again had his wings. He stared at them while testing how flexible they were. As good as ever, just needing a wash now from the sudden growth.

While he observed how well they were working, the winged-human also took the time to finally admire his new appendages. Though covered in blood, he could see a healthy silver glow along each feather that protruded from the underlying flesh. He smiled at how well formed it was, how it crested at the top and descended down to his knees behind him, and how both wings seemed to react to his emotions. They quivered from what Silver could only assume was his excitement. Bringing them out to their full length, he guessed they were about four feet from one wingtip to the other.

“Amazing,” he smirked, folding them against his back. “Now I just have to get home an-”

Silver was cut off as something hard smashed against the back of his head, and he fell forward. As he hit the ground, the winged-human looked up to see the girl from the shack. She stood over him, holding a wooden plank. He would've gotten up and struck back if not for the fact that the hit had made him start to lose consciousness. The last thing he saw was the girl bending over him and speak into his ear.

“You're not going anywhere...”

Author's Note

For anyone interested, the other language was Latin. The phrases translate like this:

"Testor eorum est magica infra arcessentes Equestria portam" = "I call upon the magic within to summon a portal to Equestria"

"Testor eorum ad vocandum mea magia infra alis argentum" = "I call upon the magic within to summon my wings of silver"

Bonus points to whoever can name the first five references I used!~

Prologue: An Unfortunate Event

Prologue: Unfortunate Event

It was possibly the hottest day within Canterlot. Many ponies could not cope with the unbearable temperature that continued to rise, and had fainted from heat strokes. Some had taken shelter within the castle, which was adequately cool by unicorns that specialized in cooling magic.

Celestia, deeply concerned with the safety of her subjects, had spent the entire day with her best advisors, trying to discern what would bring about such a heat wave. They hadn’t even the slightest idea after a few hours. It wasn’t until one of the unicorns from the farther side of Canterlot came to her that the answer revealed itself.

“What?!” Celestia exclaimed. “Are you telling me that this is heat magic?”

“Yes Princess,” The small unicorn said quietly. “It s one of the more ancient of spells. It was used long ago to assist in sieges. The spell had long been forgotten after all fighting had ceased. It is known as the Hellfire Wave. It generates a wave of intense heat that cannot be countered except by using a spell known simply as Arctic Winds. The only known tome that contains the spell has supposedly been lost for generations.”

“Hmmm,” Celestia said quietly. “That is the only way then?”

“I’m afraid so Princess.”

“Very well then,” Celestia said standing up. “Contact all the able-bodies unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies that live within Equestria that have knowledge of ancient magics, no matter how small it is. This crisis must be stopped at all costs!”

Celestia turned around, signaling that the audience was over. She walked back into her room, and layed down to sleep. She had been out for what felt like a minute when a knock was heard at the door.

“Enter,” Celestia said getting to her hooves.

In stepped two of her loyal guards, followed by a hooded figure. Recognizing that the hooded character was Zecora, the zebra that resided within the Everfree forest, Celestia dismissed her guards. She walked over to the hooded zebra, and spoke calmly.

“Hello Zecora,” the Princess said. “I assume you are here to tell me of some ancient knowledge passed down among your people. Am I correct?”

“You are wrong, but only just so,” Zecora said in her rhyming voice. “I have a prophecy that you must know.”

Zecora, widely know for her strange ways, had been of great help to many people. When she said something, it was wise to listen. Celestia knew this, and straightened up immediately.

“Please continue Zecora,” she said seriously. “What is the prophecy?”

“He will come on two, and save us all,” the zebra spoke loudly, her eyes clouded over. “But he and she together will fall. Harmony will return forever more, but only at the cost of war.”

Celestia had regarded the first half with caution, but she forgot that at the mention of war. Centuries had passed since the last had been fought. If war threatened again, would Equestria be able to stand up to it?

“Zecora, everypony knows of your talents. And if you say there will be danger, then I will not doubt you. But are you sure of war?”

“Princess,” the zebra began. “My cauldron shows me many things, both good and bad. If there is war, it will be had.”

Celestia nodded, knowing that arguing with the zebra would gain nothing. Instead she thought back to the first half of the prophecy.

“Zecora, you said ‘He’. Who is that? And what do you beam by ‘He will come on two’’?” The alicorn asked carefully.

“He does not live like you and I,” Zecora rhymed. “He lies in a world unseen by our eyes. To bring him here I’ll need your help. To summon now the human whelp.”

“Human?” Celestia asked curiously. “That is not a race I have heard of.”

“A room I need, soon and fast,” Zecora said, disregarding Celestia’s comment. “If we are to right the wrong within our past.”

With that, the hooded zebra left the room. Celestia, now alone, thought about what she said. To right a wrong from our past? The more she thought about it, the less Celestia was sure what to believe. Shaking her head clear of the unhappy thoughts, Celestia called in two guards to direct Zecora to a large quiet room. Whatever would happen to Equestria, lied in the fate of this…human, and the strange prophecy around him.

“But just who is ‘he’?” Celestia thought.

I.I.I

“Hey Tory!” called an unpleasant voice behind the young man. “You gonna go home and cry it out again?”

The boy named Tory simply turned away, and hoisted his backback higher on his shoulders. He hooked his left thumb on his pocket, and walked away. Before he got ten feet, he felt something pull him back, and he fell to the ground.

“Where do you think YOU’RE going loser?” The obnoxious teen called to him. “The fun is only just starting!”

“Aaron, are you in love with me or something?” Tory asked the annoying one. “You seem to stalk me pretty often.”

The bully stepped back, unsure of how to respond. He wasn’t gay, but he couldn’t respond too fast or the crowd that had gathered for a fight would think he was. He opted to not speak at all, and lifted Tory by his shirt collar. The action took more energy that normal, since Tory was kind of large. He reared back his other hand, prepared to smash the teen’s face in, but another hand held it in place. He turned around to find the principal Mr.Crouch standing there with anger on his face.

“Aaron Skipper,” Mr.Crouch said in his ‘No Bullshit’ tone. “Why do you insist on wasting your time with senseless fighting? If you would just focus on your studies, you might actually make a grade higher than an F- on your tests.”

Without another word, Aaron dropped Tory onto the ground, and turned back towards the school. He dragged his feet through the cement, turning back only to flip off Tory. Mr.Crouch pointed towards the school, indicating that Aaron had better get moving before he was in more trouble. The crowd broke up, going out to their buses that took them home. As Tory got up, Mr.Crouch walked over to him.

“You okay son?” Mr.Crouch asked. “You seemed like you were about to do something irrational.”

Tory stuffed his hands into his pocket, and pulled out his mp3 player. Putting one earbud in, he looked at the principal. The man raised an eyebrow, surprised to see the teen pull out electronics in front of him. Normally, he would have confiscated the small device, but Mr.Crouch knew that Tory only pulled it out to start his calming process. The teen had said that he always felt calmer when his head was filled with music.

“No worries Mr.Crouch,” Tory said, forcing a smile. “Nothing a little Alternative music can’t cure.”

The principal nodded, and Tory walked away. As he neared the bus ramp, Tory heard someone call out his name once more. This time it was Cory, a fellow brony. His orange-red afro puffed out on all ends, casting a shadow on his face.

“Hey man, you good?” Cory asked. “I thought Aaron was gonna kill you.”

“Not if he doesn’t want to go to jail,” Tory said with a laugh.

For as long as he could remember, Tory had been the target for bullies. There hasn’t been a punishment he hasn’t suffered at their hands. Swirlies, noogies, you name it, and Tory could tell you the mechanics behind them all. He had experienced that much from their kind. It had taken him years of anger management to not assume a person he didn’t know wasn’t out to get him. Even now, he still held his guard up against new people.

That being said, Tory was always on his guard. His high school was the only one in three counties, so three different middle schools sent in tons of students in each year. Being only in his Junior year, Tory knew that he still had one more hellish year of studies and uncertainty. His only solace were the ‘friends’ he had made, if you could call them that.

Cory was the closest thing he had to a friend. The guy was cool to everyone, and made them all feel great about themselves. He was even a brony, something Tory had recently become, and something that was rare in their school. Even then, they only met at lunch. Next in line was someone he regarded as closer, but still far away, Grace. She sat with him on the bus, talked with him about anime and other pleasantries, and made him feel like he could actually be himself for once. It could be said that he felt something towards her, but afer a rough year, he thought she felt farther from him than they began. After her, were his ‘dueling buddies’. They only met at lunch in the library, and played Yu-Gi-Oh. Being nerds, that was what they did. But Tory was proud to be one. Lastly, there was Chris. He and Tory had started out decent, but then the guy had downright become an ass to Tory. The teen wasn’t even sure if the guy counted as anything CLOSE to a friend!

Realizing that he had spaced out, Tory noticed Cory still standing there. He laughed a little at himself, and said good-bye to his fellow brony. He quikly dashed to the front of a line of buses. As he grabbed his seat at the front, Grace came up the steps and sat down next to him.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a friendly look.

“Hey,” she said back in an uncaring tone.

Needless to say, the entire bus ride had been spent in silence. She had spent it reading a fan fiction on her android, while he had cranked up his music to drown out the other students. A few times Tory had tried to start a conversation, but most ended with Grace saying nothing. It made him feel depressed, as he often did nowadays.

When he finally stepped off the bus onto his driveway, Tory waited until the bus rounded a corner, and dashed into his crappy trailer. He slammed the broken door, which was held in place by a piece of cardboard. The knob had broken years ago, and being broke as shit, they had simply found a replacement method. It worked quite well surprisingly.

Tory walked into the living room, and angrily tossed his backpack into the unused chair where he kept all of his school stuff. He stormed through his house, avoiding the weak parts of the floor that were held together by planks of wood that couldn’t support him. He pushed the curtain that acted as a door out of the way, and grabbed a pair of boxers and jean shorts. He crossed the trailer once more to his parent’s room, where the only working shower was. As he moved himself under the heating up water, Tory lets his thoughts drift around.

“Why the hell do I leave myself so open?!” Tory raged. “If I just cut everyone out of the picture, maybe I’d be able to avoid the pain!”

The teen shook his head. Giving up like that was something that made him think of his least favorite anime character: Sasuke Uchiha. Taking that path led to self destruction, he remembered from a story he once read. Tory let his thoughts go somewhere happier.

“Heh, I bet things would be much more different if my life was an anime,” Tory thought aloud. “Or at least a pleasant cartoon, like My Little Ponies. Maybe THEN, I’d be able to feel like I belong.”

After another few minutes of thinking, Tory finally climbed out. He slowly got dressed and walked into his half-acre back yard. He walked over his brother’s dog, Nina. She barked happily at him, and begged for attention. He got down on one knee, and slowly petted her.

“You don’t think bad of me, do you girl?” Tory asked the energetic dog. “You’re happy to have me around, right?”

Nina simply whined, and licked his face. He wondered if dogs actually understood human language. It didn’t seem like it. More likely they understood that they were to do and not do certain things when we humans said something they didn’t comprehend, and treated them accurately based on the intention.

Getting back up, Tory walked back inside. He walked into his room, and waited for the day to end…

I.I.I

Night had finally come, and Zecora was just finishing the incantaion for her summoning spell. It was not like the ones most were accustomed to. This one took YOU to where your target was, and allowed you to convince them to follow you back through. The spell worked for the most part. Sometimes it malfunctioned and separated one from the other, often sending the target into an unknown location.

Celestia quietly walked into the room, and noticed all of the seals on the floor in a circle. Zecora looked up, her eyes clouded once more. She looked to be in a trance. Celestia waited for her to say something.

“This boy is unhappy, and his life is quite bad,” She said. “Maybe bringing him here will make him glad of what he has.”

“Zecora, are you sure about this,” Celestia asked in a concerned tone. “What if something goes wrong?”

“I am sure of this as I’m sure you can fly,” Zecora said in a humorous tone. “Believe me now, the cauldron doesn’t lie.”

“Well…”

“Hush! My vision is clear,” the zebra said suddenly. “The time for calling is almost near.”

With that, Zecora began to chant in her native tongue. The words echoed around the small room, and made Celestia feel tiny. After a minute of chanting, Zecora called out loudly, and the room was engulfed in a green light…

I.I.I

Night had finally fallen, and the good shows were on now. Adult Swim and Comedy Central were the only good things about TV for him. And tonight he had the house to himself. His dad had gone to stay with his girlfriend, which Tory thought it was kinda weird that the man still dated. His brother was out of town on a business trip, so that left him alone with the TV and his Xbox 360.

He had been watching a small time comedian at the time a storm broke out. Lightning had apparently struck a transformer somewhere, as all power within the house went out. Tory grabbed the scented candle that was on the table, glad that his brother had bought them, and lit it up. The room began to fill with the scent of fresh grass and forest, which confused Tory. The candle was supposed to be vanilla scented, so why was it so different?

As he thought about this, Tory heard a knock at the door. Unsure if he should open the door, the teen just stood there. Tory had seen enough shows to know what happens when home alone without power. It was these same shows that had made him paranoid over the years. The knocking came again, and this time Tory decided to answer it. He grabbed a broom that was nearby, hoping he wouldn’t need to use it. He didn’t really think a broom would do much, but Tory knew that anything could be a good weapon in the right hands. It just so happened that he was knowledgeable in martial arts, with a bit in swords.

Opening the door, Tory quickly swung the wooden broom in front of him to hopefully block any incoming attack. He saw no one at first, but then he heard a soft snort from at his feet. Looking down, Tory noticed a small hooded figure. He thought it looked familiar, but he couldn’t think of it.

Realizing that he was being rude, Tory invited the stranger in. He knew the small person posed less of a threat, and was more willing to let her into the house. As he closed the door, he placed an old blanket in front of the gap at the bottom, to prevent any rain from blowing the door open or letting rain in.

“Careful,” Tory said to the stranger. “The floor isn’t really stable. Oh what am I saying? Forgive me, I should get you something to warm up in. I’ll grab you a towel and heat another up. Please give me a second.”

He dashed into the bathroom and pulled two fresh towels off of the counter at the sink. He went over to the dryer in a side room, and put the spare in for ten minutes. He walked back to his guest, who was sitting on the smaller of two couches. Tossing them the cloth, Tory tried to start a conversation.

“So, what brings you to my humble abode? It can’t be the fine weather,” He joked.

“You joke around, but at what cost? Every second we wait, another life is lost.”

“That voice. I‘ve heard it before.” Tory thought to himself.

“If you have, you know where I reside. Have you glimpsed upon the other side?”

“Wait a second! How did you read my thoughts?” Tory said getting up. “Why do I feel like I know you? Your voice is so…familiar.”

“If of me that you know, then maybe you’re more likely to go.”

“You’re…What the?! You’re Zecora, the tribal zebra from Ponyville!” Tory called out, excitement and fear within his voice. “But you can’t be real! Is this some strange dream?!”

“Dream or not is up to you,” Zecora rhymed. “But now is the time to move. You can stay here and remain safe, or come with me to a whole new place. You know of it, that I’m sure. If you go, I have the cure.”

“What cure,” Tory asked. Had the tribal zebra used some strange gas to poison him?

“Your life I have seen is with much pain.” Zecora said calmly. “Come with me, and you mey yet gain. A second life I have to give, but I cannot guarantee that you will live.”

“T…To Equestria? With Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow, and the other elements of Harmony?” Tory asked in disbelief.

Zecora nodded, and Tory stood there thinking. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He could become a member of Ponyville, and befriend all of the villagers. He could maybe meet someone special, and live a long life with them. He could finally meet the one pony he actually felt something towards: Fluttershy.

Tory had liked Fluttershy since episode one. She was the kind, timid type, much like Hinata. If there was one thing Tory liked, it was a kind girl. There weren’t many in his town, he knew that much. But it just made him like the good ones even more. It was only a bonus if they were timid. He found it attractive if they were, but he could never say it aloud. Hell, he couldn’t even explain it properly!

But at the same time, it could be a trap! He was paranoid enough to know when things were too good to be true. It was that which had gotten him out of many situations. This character that looked and sounded like Zecora, could easily be a puppet controlled from somewhere. It could lead him into the open where he could be taken down silently and efficiently.

But what if it wasn’t?

That question struck him like a rock. What if it was real? If he turned it down, he’d be stuck with his old life. He might eventually get SOMEWHERE, but that would take a long time. If he left, he could start anew. It was just too good a chance to pass up. So what if it was a trap? If he died, he wouldn’t have any more worries. Sort of a win/win!

“I…Okay,” Tory said with a nod. “I’ll go. But can I pack a few things?”

“Take what you wish, for we are still here,” She said. “But the time to leave is very near.”

“Thank you,” Tory said with a respectful nod. He dashed into his room.

Tory figured electronics would be useless, since there was ne electricity within that world. How could there be if they still used carriages? His games and music would only last a week at most. Instead he chose small momentos. Family photos, a picture of Grace, his art book, a notepad with all of his deepest thoughts, and a card. The card was a creation of his. It was a black and white Yu-Gi-Oh card cutout of his family, Grace, and himself. He made it so he would never forget his childhood. Tory stored them all within his Dale Earnhardt Jr wallet, and made his way back to Zecora. He noticed his signature dog tags on the table, and put them on. It was only thing he had that represent him.

The front tag had his name in an italic style, his Zodiac sign Virgo, and a small cross etched into the metal. The back one was a larger cross that took up the entire tag. It held a small sapphire in the center. It was a gift from his aunt, before she died of cancer. He looked at the tags for a second longer, before he walked up to Zecora.

“Zecora…I’m ready.” Tory said solemnly.

The zebra led him out into the biting rain, and showed him a small green light that hovered beside his bike. It bobbed up and down, and covered the car port in green light. How had he not noticed this earlier? It was literally twenty feet from his back porch!

The tribal zebra touched the light, and it increased in size until it was as large at Tory. Energy swirled about the portal, visible as day. Tory knew it shouldn’t be possible, even though he was failing Chemistry, but he should’ve come to expect the unexpected by now.

“Step through if the courage you do not lack,” Zecora said. “But once you do, there is no going back.”

With that, she walked into the green oval of energy. Tory worked up his nerves, and slowly stepped into it. The light engulfed him, and it twisted and turned him. He felt his skin get hot, and then it cooled down to below normal body temperature. He felt like he was being battered by Aaron and his cronies. A strike to the face here, and blow to the gut there. Tory took it all in silence. He was no stranger to pain.

After what felt like an hour of being brutally assaulted, everything went quiet. The green around him vanished, and Tory collided with something hard. As he pulled himself to his hands and knees, Tory felt the dirt, and knew that he had arrived. He tried to survey the area, but it was too dark to see anything.

Tory felt exhaustion grip at him like a fat kid to a twinkie. He let his arms fall into the dirt once more, and closed his eyes. He had seen the time it had been before he left his world. His battery powered clock had read 1:43 a.m. in the morning. Tory knew that he had been inside the portal for a decent amount of time, and sleep does not come to one who gets the shit beaten out of him for what feels like hours. He let out a sigh, and felt the soft wind in the trees soothe him to sleep…

Aftermath

‘Aftermath’

He couldn’t believe it, he just couldn’t. Tory had been right there, the entire time, but he just couldn’t accept it. He kept playing the event out in his head, trying to think of something he could’ve done. No answer came to him. He thought back to her last words…

“Tory,” Fluttershy had said. “I’m glad that I spent this day…my one life…with you. I wouldn’t have had it…any other way.”

“I would’ve,” Tory muttered to himself.

After leaving the clearing, Tory had run as far away from Canterlot as fast as he could. He had no idea where he was, or where he would go. He just wanted to run away. He thought back to how the light left her eyes, and how she went limp in his hands. Tory gripped the cloth tied to his arm, the last thing he had of Fluttershy. It held her memories, and Tory refused to let it go.

The evening sun beat down on him, making him finally collapse under a nearby tree. He watched the sun fall into the horizon, and felt exhaustion tug at him. He closed his eyes, but sleep did not come to him. The scent of rose drifted around him. It reminded Tory of Fluttershy.

He opened his eyes to see the golden pegasus standing in front of him. Her golden body glittered with starlight, yet her eyes held the same love for him they had shown in life. Fluttershy walked up to him, and curled in his lap. She felt lighter than ever, and Tory smiled. Even death had not kept her away. Her spirit would walk beside him.

Tory began to stroke her hair, and soon he heard her even breathing. He felt his eyelids grow heavy, and let them shut tight. Fluttershy’s voice washed over him as he lost consciousness.

“I’ll always be with you Tory,” she said, her voice echoing in his head. “Never forget that.”

I.I.I

It was the second day after Fluttershy’s funeral. There was still no sign of Tory. Everypony and person had searched fruitlessly for him. It was as though he had simply vanished. Twilight had even asked Zecora if she had sent him back, but the zebra said no.

Back at Twilight’s library, everypony was trying to come up with a way to find Tory. No one said anything, just sat there, thinking. Twilight was rummaging through some old spell books, looking for a spell that could teleport her to someone directly, or one that revealed a person’s location.

“I hope he’s okay?” Pinkie said sadly.

“Okay?!” Rainbow Dash said loudly. “Okay?! He watched his wife die before his eyes! He held her in his arms as the life left her! Discord murdered Fluttershy in COLD BLOOD!! How can you even ask that?!”

Pinkie Pie shrank back at Rainbow’s voice. The blue pegasus sighed and apologized. She had been so frustrated with herself. Fluttershy was her best friend, and had died saving the one she loved. If she had seen it, Rainbow could’ve pushed them both out of the way in time. But it was too late for ‘ifs’.

“What’s done is done,” Twilight said. “Now we have to get Tory back before he hurts himself. I have the perfect method too.”

“What’ve you got?” Cory asked.

“It’s a tracking spell,” Twilight explained. “It’s a little complicated, but it should work. There’s only one thing, we need someone that knew Tory very closely.”

“I could do it,” Cory said raising his hand. “Or Grace could.”

“I’ve tried with Grace already,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Her emotions are too divided for the spell to work properly.”

“That’s cause she’s spendin’ so much time with Big Macintosh!” Applejack said, speaking up for the first time. “I’ve seen the two of them together since the whole incident began.”

“Grace and Big Macintosh?” Cory said with a laugh. “I never thought I’d see the day!”

“Come on you two,” Twilight said.”We need to get serious! Cory, you’re going to help us find Tory. We have to hurry. Any second now, he could be getting closer to doing something insane.”

Hey now,” Cory said, getting serious. “Tory is many things, but not insane. Yeah, he let his emotions get the better of him, but I’d probably do the same thing! Anyways, he wouldn’t do anything drastic, like suicide. That would be an insult to Fluttershy, and he knows it.”

“I guess…” Twilight said. “But we should still get moving. It’s better for us to be with him now than to let him wallow in misery alone. We’ve got to support him, even if he doesn’t want us to!”

Everypony and Cory gave a cheer and ran out of the room. All except for Rainbow. She picked her self off the floor and dragged her feet towards the group. She knew that something was wrong, she just KNEW it!

Rainbow wasn’t sure why, but she felt hollow inside. She’d been feeling like that ever since her last conversation with Fluttershy. They had fought, and Fluttershy said she would die before she let anyone hurt Tory. If only she knew that the next day, she would prove herself.

“Why does this keep happening to me?” Rainbow Dash said with a sigh. “Why do they all leave?”

I.I.I

“Okay, so the spell is actually kind of simple,” Twilight said. “It’s just the requirement that is complicated.”

After leaving the library, the group had activated the spell, and traveled Northeast. It was their second day out, and they hadn’t even come close to Tory. Twilight Sparkle was running herself ragged, keeping the spell up all day. Right now, she was teaching it to Rarity, who seemed willing to learn.

Rainbow looked on as the white unicorn tried the spell out, and failed. She sighed once, and walked away. Night was falling, and everypony was settling down for the night. All of the remaining Elements of Harmony and Cory had left on this trip, leaving behind Grace and Macintosh. Applejack said they’d be useless unless they could put the work in. Obvioulsy Macintosh could, but Grace couldn’t. She had to stay behind, so the red earth pony had stayed behind as well.

Rainbow felt the hole inside her grow deeper as she thought about it. Earlier this morning, she thought maybe what she was feeling was envy. It made sense to her. She had no one to call her own. Everyone seemed to have a special person besides her.

Twilight was becoming close friends with Cory, everypony could see that. Rarity was still cooing over that prick of a cousin Celestia had, Applejack was getting close with another shopkeeper that always set up near her, even Pinkie was finding love! She was starting to go out with a pony that had confessed to her recently. Rainbow was the only pony that didn’t have ‘that special somepony’ as Tory called it.

“I’ve just got to go out and talk with ponies huh?” Rainbow asked herself.

“Rainbow, are you okay,” Applejack said, coming up to her. “You look awfully out o’ it.”

“It’s…nothing.’ Rainbow lied.

“You can tell me,” Applejack insisted. “I know when ya got a problem.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh? Just try me,” the orange pony challenged.

Rainbow Dash sighed, and began to tell her everything. She told Applejack how empty she felt, and how she envied everyone else for finding love. The orange pony just stared at her, listening intently. When Rainbow finished, she was eerily quiet.

“Now I see what’s got ya all riled up,” Applejack said calmly. “You know, you’re already in love Rainbow. You just don’t see who it is yet. But I see.”

“What?” Rainbow said. “But I haven’t even tried yet!”

“Don’t you remember what Tory said?” Applejack said, reminding Rainbow Dash. “He said that love can come from the most unlikely of places. I reckon yours did too.”

“But who is it?” Rainbow asked, getting impatient. “How can I love someone if I don’t know who it is?”

“The same way you can love a person you’ve only met once.” Applejack said turning away.

Rainbow Dash thought about that for a second. A person she had only met once? But just who could that be? It had to have been recently, otherwise she would’ve had these feelings for a while now. There was only one person she had met recently, and he was gone.

“No,” Rainbow said, realization dawning on her. “I’m…I’m in love with Tory?!”

I.I.I

Tory wasn’t sure where to go now. He was stuck at a fork in the path he was taking. One path led into a forest, the other led down to the sea. After carefully thinking over the possibilities, Tory took the route by the sea.

The scent of salt hit his nose, and Tory looked out over the water. The sun was starting to set, turning the water to crimson fire. He walked under a tree, and let his shoulders sag. He pulled his sword out of it’s sheathe that he made, which was adorned with his mark. Then he summoned a wodden training dummy, and proceeded to attack it.

“I have to keep practicing,” Tory said in between slashes. “I won’t let another innocent life be taken away by that moster’s claws!”

After getting warmed up, Tory made the dummy come to life, and attack him with a speed equal to his. He dodged this and that, looking for openings. He struck once, making the wooden figure flinch. That was the opening Tory was looking for, and he pressed his attack. The dummy blocked each strike to a vital, never letting Tory keep up for long.

Tory took a big leap backwards, returning his blade to it’s case. He then unsheathed the daggers he made that hung at his waist. Like the sword, they were golden with a pink hilt. He held them upside down, and dashed at the wooden dummy. It slashed at him, but he deflected the attack with one dagger, and struck a vital point with his free hand.

Kicking out with one leg, Tory tripped the dummy. He brought down both daggers into it’s back, and stood up. He was slowly getting better, he knew that. But he also knew that he was still no match for Discord. The guy seemed to be good at everything! Tory knew he would have to master every weapon he knew of to be able to fight the demon. Right now, he was focusing on one-handed bladed weapons.

Tory had gathered a good number of facts on weapons over his many years of playing video games. He knew that swords were well-rounded, so they were nice to have around. But daggers were light, and were good for getting past an enemy’s defense. Tory was beginning to build up his body with everything he was doing. The sword was his opener, and he would switch to daggers if he couldn’t break an enemy’s guard.

Later, he was going to teach himself to use a bow, since he knew that stealth was important too. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to be able to use ranged weapons either. At one point, he thought about making a gun, but then he realized that the best he could do was an old school revolver with six shots. Tory was making all of this himself, that included the ammo. That being said, assault rifles and LMG’s were out of the question. He just couldn’t make ammo that fast!

Tory was so focused on his thoughts, he didn’t even notice anything on the ground until he tripped. He looked up, and heard a gentle giggling behind him. Tory smiled, and turned to face Fluttershy.

“Aw, now why’d you do that?” Tory asked, smiling.

“Because you looked so serious,” Fluttershy said, coming over to him. “You need to lighten up Tory, enjoy the natural beauty of Equestria.”

She looked up at her husband, and kissed him on the cheek. He held her close, enjoying her presence. During the day, Fluttershy couldn’t stay with him. But the moment the sun went down she was at his side again. It hurt him so much to be restricted like this.

“Fluttershy, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I failed to protect you…”

“No you didn’t Tory,” Fluttershy ressured him. “I was the one that pushed you. I couldn’t bear to be away from you, not even for a second. I did what I had to. You protected me Tory, I was just returning the favor.”

“But now look at us,” he whispered. “Only able to meet at night, and never able to truly be together.”

“Tory please,” Fluttershy begged. “Just because things look bad doesn’t mean they really are. There is a silver lining in every dark cloud, you just have to look for it.”

Tory didn’t respond. Instead, he just kissed his wife, and put his head down. Fluttershy began to sing softly to him. It was the song he had made for her. Her voice filled Tory with sadness, but he didn’t let it show. He looked up at the stars, letting Fluttershy’s beautiful voice lull him to sleep. Once she knew he was unconscious, she curled up beside him, letting her body keep him warm.

I.I.I

“Rainbow,” Twilight said, calling the pegasus over. “Can you please fly up and check the area? Tory’s signal is getting stronger, but we can’t tell what direction.”

It was the next morning that they had reached a fork in the path. Rarity had been guiding the group until the path split. One led into a forest, the other over a hill. Rainbow Dash nodded, and jumped into the air. She soared upward, until she had a good view that went out for about a mile.

On the right path, which led over the hill, a vast blue sea greeted the group. Rainbow saw a thin black line rising into the sky, and realized that it was smoke.

“That must be him,” Rainbow said, her heart starting to beat faster. “I think I see him! He‘s over this way!”

Rainbow set out for the smoke, her friends close behind her. After last night, she’d been thinking about what Applejack said. The more Rainbow thought about it, the more it actually made sense. She wanted to see Tory so badly!

Rainbow Dash put on a burst of speed, and came upon the smoke column. She glided down to the base of it, expecting to see Tory lounging around. She was disappointed to see that the area was empty Her friends caught up with her, and checked out everything.

“It definitely looks like he was here,” Twilight said. “We must’ve just missed him.”

“But that means we’re getting close!” Pinkie said happily. “We’ve almost got him, yay!”

“Then what’re we waiting for?” Rainbow said impatiently. “Which way did he go?”

“By the looks of these tracks,” Cory said, pointing towards the rising sun. “I’d bet he went down that side of the beach. But the weird part is, there is another pair of tracks here. And these are definitely pony.”

Sure enough, there were pony tracks going right beside Tory’s shoe marks. Everypony looked at each other, all except Rainbow. Without warning, she dashed ahead, keeping an eye on the trail.She was aware of Twilight calling her back, but she didn’t stop. Instead, she looked back to see Applejack talking with her. She sent her friend a silent thanks, and continued along.

As Rainbow Dash kept going, she noticed the tracks got deeper and deeper, which meant they were more fresh. She looked up, and saw a dark figure moving away from her. Rainbow felt her hooves tingle, and put on another burst of speed.

The sun was now well into the sky, making Rainbow exhausted quicker. Her wings grew heavy, and her eyes began to droop. She hadn’t slept a wink last night, her thoughts had kept her awake. Now, when she needed the energy, it left her.

The figure in the distance was getting closer, and quick. But Rainbow couldn’t keep going. Without meaning to, she veered towards the water, and her wings fell to her sides. She crashed into the water, and began to drown…

I.I.I

Tory was getting weaker, and considerably fast. There wasn’t a tree in sight, and he’d been walking since dawn. Fluttershy had gone part of the way with him, but now she was somewhere else, watching him.

Tory heard a splash behind him, and turned to see a pony in the water. She was struggling, and it looked like she didn’t have long to go. Without thinking, Tory dropped his gear, and dashed onto the water. He was forcing his magic into his feet, allowing him to hover over the water.

As he neared the drowning pony, Tory recognized her as Rainbow Dash. He moved his legs as fast as they would go, and came up to the pegasus. He grabbed one of her hooves, and hauled her out. She was barely breathing, and Tory knew she had inhaled some of the water.

Getting her back to land, Tory summoned a cabana. He placed her down in the shade, and checked her vitals. She wasn’t breathing now! Tory inhaled deeply, and opened Rainbow’s mouth. He breathed into her, praying that she wouldn’t die.

“By Celestia! Not her too!”

After a minute of CPR, Rainbow Dash coughed up some water. She inhaled sharply, and sat up. She looked around, but stopped when she saw Tory.

“T-Tory?” Rainbow coughed out. “Is that you? *Cough* I’m not dreaming am I?”

“No, you’re wide awake. At least, you should be after nearly drowning.” he said. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

“Looking for you,” Rainbow said, getting her breath back. “You can’t just leave like that! What if Discord had attacked you?!”

Tory didn’t look at her, and Rainbow felt her anger rise. She was glad he saved her, but did he have to be so distant? She let her anger fall slowly, and sat down.

“Look,” she said calmly. “We miss Fluttershy too, all of us! But it’s over now. I know you loved her, and it might still be too soon, but you have to move on! There are still people that care about you…”

“I can’t,” Tory said getting up. “I refuse to get close to anyone ever again! No matter what I do, they all leave me! My first friend ever, my longest friend a few years later, my aunt…now Fluttershy. If I get too close to someone, they either end up leaving me or dying!”

Rainbow saw his fists clenched so tight, his nails were drawing blood. Tears fell down his face, but he didn’t notice. Rainbow knew just how he felt. The reason she acted so cocky was to keep others from getting close to her, that way she wouldn’t lose another soul.

Rainbow Dash got up, and flew over to Tory. She put her arms around his neck, and rested her head on the back of his. He tensed up, but he didn’t move. He didn’t say anything either, just stood there.

“I know how you feel Tory,” she said. “I really do. It happens so often to me, I often force people to stay away. But no matter how distant I keep them, everypony still goes away. I always thought it was better to let them hate me, to let them think I was a jerk. Anything was better than them vanishing! But Fluttershy taught me something…She taught me how to care again. If not for her, I might not have fallen in love.”

“You, in love?” Tory asked, his voice betraying his curiosity. “Pray tell, who is the lucky fella?”

Rainbow reached across his shoulder, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Tory tensed up even more, and Rainbow giggled. It amazed her how innocent he could be sometimes. She got off his back, and flew around to face him.

“I think you know,” she said with a grin.

“R-Rainbow…” Tory stammered. “I….I-”

“Found them!” came a high pitched voice from the opening.

Both of them turned to see Pinkie Pie bouncing in the doorway. She was looking at them with a curious smile on her face. From what she saw, the two were blushing. She couldn’t make sense of it, but then she couldn’t make sense of many things. She forgot about it as the rest of the group ran up to them.

“Rainbow Dash, Tory! Oh I’m so glad we managed to catch up!” Rarity said as she saw them.

“It took us a bit longer, but we finally got the group back t’gether.” Applejack said, giving Rainbow Dash a knowing look.

“All of you…came to find me?” Tory asked, looking at each of them in turn.

“Well duh!” Cory said, smacking Tory on the back of the head. “You didn’t think we’d let you ditch us too, did you?”

“Honestly? Yes, for a while I did.”

Everyone laughed at that. Tory had to admit, it felt great to laugh again. He looked out the cabana, and saw the sun was setting. This was the last day he would ever spend alone.

“Tory, where did you think you were going anyway?” Twilight asked him.

“…Out to find Discord,” Tory said, getting serious. “He’s due one ass whipping! I won’t stop until I see his head on a silver platter!”

“Dude, Tory,” Cory said. “Don’t you remember what Yoda says? ‘Anger leads to hate, hate leads to revenge, and that leads to the Dark Side.’ Do you really think that killing him will bring Fluttershy back?”

“I know it won’t!” Tory spat. “But he’s going to die! Every second that he stays in Equestria, another life could be lost! This isn’t just some vengeful suicide mission, this is actual war! I’m the only one that can defeat him!”

“Tory,” Applejack snapped. “Haven’t you learned anything? If you try to do everything yourself, you’re just gonna end up worse than where you started. You can’t do everythin’ alone!”

“I know,” he said. “But I can try. At least this way, I don’t have to see you guys suffer.”

“That’s it!” Rainbow said. She flew over to Tory, and punched him in the face, sending him into the sand. “You’re being selfish Tory! Fluttershy is dead, we all miss her. But that doesn’t mean that we’ll die too! It’s time you realized that! WE are going to help you, and THAT, IS, FINAL!”

Everypony and the two humans looked at Rainbow Dash in silence. Then Rarity nodded agreement, saying that she was perfectly willing to put her life on the line. Then Twilight agreed, and Applejack, followed by Pinkie.

“Fine,” Tory said, getting back up. “But it’s late, there’s no point in walking in the dark. Let’s rest here tonight, and we’ll set out first thing in the morning.”

Everyone agreed, and settled down in the warm sand. They let the sounds of the beach lull them to sleep. Tory, on the other hand, couldn’t. He was waiting for the familiar scent of rose to tell him Fluttershy was here. When nothing came, he quietly stepped out of the cabana.

He figured she wouldn’t show up in front of others. She would be to embarrassed to do something so bold. Yet even when alone, Fluttershy didn’t grace him with her presence. The thought that she might be mad at him came at him like a bull. He wondered what he had done to upset his love.

He was still deep in thought when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked around to see Rainbow Dash looking up at him. He smiled, and motioned for her to sit with him. Maybe Fluttershy wanted to talk with her as well? They sat in silence, one waiting for a sign, the other wishing she could think of something. Finally, Rainbow spoke up.

“The sea looks beautiful in the moonlight,” she said.

Yeah,” Tory said, actually glad to have the silence broken. “It reminds me of the beach back where I’m from.”

“Is it nice there? Where you’re from?” Rainbow asked, looking at him.

“Maybe I’ll show you one day,” Tory said. “After all of this ends.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Rainbow replied.

They sat in silence for another minute. Tory was painfully aware of Rainbow watching him. He looked over at her, and saw something familiar in her eyes. He saw the same thing in Fluttershy’s too. It was love. But why did it have to be him? He only loved one pony, and that was Fluttershy! To love another, even if she was gone, seemed like an insult to her.

Tory wanted to turn away, to tell her that it would never work, but his head wouldn’t move, and his voice wouldn’t come. He was trapped in her gaze. She leaned into him, resting her head on his arm. Tory wasn’t sure of what to do. He couldn’t just push her away! Tory was a gentleman, and to just reject her was disrespectful and just plain hateful!

“Tory, I know you can never forget about Fluttershy,” Rainbow whispered. “So I’ll wait…Forever if I must. I’ll support you, just like she did…”

“…No.” Tory said, something in his head clicking. “No you won’t. Rainbow, don’t try to be like Fluttershy. Please, just be who YOU are. If you want to support me, you should do it the way you would.”

Rainbow Dash looked up at him, a spark in her eyes. Tory couldn’t resist a smile at how beautiful she looked. The moonlight turned her multi-colored hair into different shades of white, silver, and black. Her normally red eyes were a deep silver themselves. Tory found himself drifting towards Rainbow. She reached up, and they kissed. It lasted for only a second, but that was enough to make them both blush.

“Does this mean…” Rainbow trailed off.

“I don’t see why it shouldn’t.” Tory said, knowing the rest of her question.

Rainbow layed her head down on his arm once more, and began to breathe evenly. Tory just stayed there, stroking her soft hair. He smelled roses, and looked around. Beside the cabana, Fluttershy was smiling at him. Was this the silver-lining she was talking about yesterday? She turned around, and began to fade.

“Please wait,” he whispered to her. “Does this mean that…We’re…Do you approve?”

Tory couldn’t finish his first question. He didn’t want to know the answer. It would hurt him too much. Fluttershy smiled at him again, and vanished. Her scent surrounded him, and her voice filled his head.

“Don’t worry Tory,” Fluttershy said. “This is what I wanted. You deserve to be happy. Please, don’t mourn for me any more. Take good care of her…Good-bye, my love.”

Her voice faded, and her scent disappeared. It was quickly replaced by the scent of azaleas, which drifted up from Rainbow Dash. Tory smiled. A colorful, fragrant flower, for a colorful, beautiful pony. He looked up at the stars, a single tear rolling down his face.

“Good-bye…Fluttershy.”

“Tory?” Rainbow said, waking up. “Who are you talking to?”

“..I’m just saying good-bye to someone.” Tory said, smiling at her. “Come on, lets get inside. It’s going to get cold soon.”

They walked back into the cabana, and layed down next to each other. Soon their breaths became soft and even. Neither of them noticed the orange pony that had heard the whole thing. Applejack smiled, tears rolling down her eyes.

She had heard Fluttershy’s voice, smelled the roses in the air. The pegasus just refused to leave him, even after she died. She heard Tory ask her if she approved, and the reply that Fluttershy gave. Applejack knew she shouldn’t have, but she bet that Fluttershy knew she heard.

She sniffed sadly. Fluttershy was so amazing. She was a great friend, she loved so strongly, and even in death helped her friends keep happy. Applejack had always tried to act like a big sister for everyone, helping them with their troubles, giving advice wherever it was wanted, she did it all. But Fluttershy did all of that and more!

Applejack understood why Tory couldn’t bear to let her go. Maybe he was the only one that truly understood just what they lost that day…

I.I.I

The morning came like all the others, but something about this one felt pleasant. Maybe it was because Tory was back with them, maybe it was because Rainbow Dash wasn’t brooding like she usually did. Either way, everyone was starting off the day happier.

Twilight noticed it right away. She saw how happy Rainbow looked, and how much more active Tory was. She could have sworn something happened while she was asleep. When she asked Applejack, the pony just smiled at her, and let a single tear fall.

“I don’t think you’re ready to know yet,” she said, clearing away the tear. “Hell, I think I shouldn’t know!”

This left Twilight Sparkle more confused than before. Finally she couldn’t stand it any more, and walked up to Rainbow Dash.

“Are you okay Rainbow?” she asked. “You don’t seem like yourself.”

“Heheh, noticed already huh?” Rainbow said, a large smile on her face. “You certainly catch on quick!”

Rarity was having a similar conversation with Tory at the moment. She’d asked him if he was okay, and he smiled at her and said it was a great morning to be alive. Rarity was sure he’d be feeling terrible. So why was he so energetic?

“Let’s just say I found my silver lining last night,” Tory said, he eyes brimming.

“But surely you must feel some pain still?” Rarity asked. Then she wondered if she pushed too hard there. Tory didn’t even notice.

“Hey now,” he said, the smile never leaving his face. “Who’re you calling Shirley?”

Rarity groaned at the cliché line, and walked away, her questions still unanswered. Pinkie just laughed at Tory’s comedic attitude. She liked it when her friends were so playful, instead of serious.

After finishing breakfast, Tory dismissed the cabana, and they all walked along the beach. Cory hung back with Twilight, talking about what might have changed Tory so much. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were whispering to each other, and Rainbow Dash was flying circles around Tory, making him laugh.

“I wonder if you’ll ever get to see Cloudsdale,” she was saying. “ The view from up there is amazing this time of year.”

“How about you show me when we get back to Ponyville?” Tory suggested.

“But how’re you gonna stand on the clouds?” Rainbow asked.

“…Well, I know this might be cheating,” Tory said. “But it’s for a good cause.”

Before Rainbow could ask what he meant, Tory spun in a 360* circle, and a sound of ripping fabric was heard. When she heard it, Rarity almost fainted, it was the most horrible sound in her opinion. Tory grunted once, and held still. Two large, silver, angelic wings appeared behind him.

Everypony gasped as they saw them spread out, and Tory took off into the sky. He performed a few backflips and barrel rolls for his audience, taking the time to show his speed too. Rainbow Dash was probably the most amazed of them all. The agility and beauty of those wings took her breath away. And she had to admit, silver looked good on Tory.

As he landed, Tory allowed himself the pleasure of sweeping Rainbow into his arms, and kissing her gently on the forehead. She blushed madly, and squirmed in his arms. The others didn’t see this though, as the wings blocked their views.

“How did you…” Twilight began.

“Discord’s magic can do many things,” Tory said with a shrug. “These babies are just the tip of the iceberg!”

“But they look amazing” Rainbow said still in his arms.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie exchanged amused glances. It was obvious from the way they looked at each other, and how different they had been this morning, that Tory and Rainbow Dash had shared a special moment last night. Applejack hadn’t said a thing to anyone about what happened, but Pinkie had seen it right away. She didn’t tell anyone other than Applejack because she didn’t want to ruin how perfect the mood was.

“Think I can get into Cloudsdale now?” Tory asked her.

This got everyone laughing again. Rainbow jumped out of Tory’s arms, and lightly cuffed him on the shoulder. He pretend fell back into the water, and splashed everyone with the wave that followed. Rainbow was the only one to escape dry, and she laughed harder than every other pony there.

“Tory! Hahahaha!” Rainbow laughed, gasping for air.

It had taken everyone a few minutes to dry off, as walking long distances while wet never did any good on the body. When they finally felt dry enough to move, they all kept a small distance away from Tory. Rainbow landed on his head, and used her wings to cover them from the sunlight.

“So I’ve been wondering,” Rainbow said when they were out of earshot. “What do you intend to do when all of this is over?”

“You have to ask?” Tory said jokingly. “I intend to settle down with a certain blue pegasus, maybe start working a weather job…You know, the finer things in life.”

Rainbow blushed at the first part. She liked the sound of it. She was sure that things would work out this time! Tory would never leave her, and Discord couldn’t kill her without trying to kill Tory. The two of them could take down the demon easy, Rainbow was that certain about things.

“Any chance you might want to stay with this loser?” Tory asked, breaking into her thoughts.

“Oh? And why do you think you’re a loser? What I saw earlier didn’t seem like that.”

“Well, that was just me showing off.” Tory replied. “I don’t know if I’m actually good at flying. It was mostly magic earlier.”

“It still looked good,” Rainbow said, looking down at him.

“Heheh, not as good as you though,” Tory said, blushing lightly. “Your hair is so different from the other ponies. It has this flair about it, but at the same time, it still holds this inner beauty. It compliments your body quite nicely.”

“Quit it,” Rainbow said, trying not to blush. “You’re gonna make me go red with all the blushing I’ve been doing.”

Tory laughed so hard, he started to scare his friends. Tears rolled down his face, but these were tears of joy instead of the pained ones. He reached up, and plucked Rainbow off his head. He held her closely, and kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and returned the kiss. She now understood what Fluttershy meant about actual love.

“Hey Tory,” Applejack called out. “I think I can see Ponyville up ahead!”

Sure enough, the small town that everypony called home was within view. It was maybe a ten minute walk for the others. Tory looked at Rainbow Dash, an excited look in his eyes. She knew from that look just what he was thinking. She nodded, her eyes lighting up at the idea. They had no intention of walking to town.

“Later guys,” Tory said, kicking off the ground. “I’m gonna race Rainbow back to town!”

Before anyone could say anything, the two flyers were gone. Rainbow took the early lead, but Tory was able to build up more speed, so he caught up with her easily. They weaved from cloud to cloud, trying to keep an eye on the other. They came within a short distance of Ponyville, and Tory pulled back just a little. It wasn’t that noticeable, just enough to make one think he was tiring.

Rainbow Dash landed at the fountain first, giving a victory shout before turning to Tory. She laughed as he landed awkwardly, and ran over to hug him. Tory didn’t feel comfortable though, as all of the other ponies were staring at him with hostile eyes. He took a step back, but found his way barred by some earth ponies.

“Just what is HE doing here?” One pony called out.

“He isn’t welcome in this town anymore!” another shouted.

“Wh-what?” Rainbow stammered. “Why? What did he do wrong?”

“It’s all his fault!” some unicorn cried. “He’s the reason Fluttershy died!”

Tory flinched at that statement. He knew he couldn’t argue with that. He was about to fly away, when he saw the sky was crowded with angry pegasi. Rainbow stared at the villagers, her hair bristling with anger. She took up a defensive position in front of Tory. She called out her challenge to every pony within earshot.

“Oh yeah?” she called out. “Well then why don’t you drive him out! Just know that you’ll have to answer to me before you can get to him though!”

“And us!” came Rarity’s voice behind them.

The crowd parted to let Tory’s friends through. They each took up positions around him, guarding every angle from the villagers. Then out of nowhere, Derpy ran up to the group, and hovered over his head. She held a fierce look in her eyes that Tory had never seen. Even she seemed to be challenging anyone to hurt Tory.

“Derpy? What are you doing?” he asked.

“Isn’t it obvious,” Twilight asked from his left. “She’s your friend, and she wants to protect you like us!”

“It doesn’t matter if there are one of you or seven!” cried out an earth pony. “He still has to pay for letting Fluttershy die!”

“What gives you the right to challenge him?!” Rainbow shouted at them. “Were you there when she died? Did you feel the pain that he felt? He held her in his arms while she died. He even begged Celestia to marry them before she passed on!”

“As if we’d believe that!” cried out the first unicorn. “If he loved her so much, why’d he let her die?!”

“He didn’t!” Rarity hissed. “He fought with every ounce of energy he had to protect her! It’s Discord’s fault! He used a dirty trick to kill her!”

“Obviously his best wasn’t good enough!” said one pegasus.

Murmurs of agreement rose from the other ponies. It hurt Tory so much right now to hear them say such things. But he knew they were right. His best hadn’t been enough. He failed to protect Fluttershy. Tory lowered his head, and clenched his fists. This had dragged on long enough.

“Rainbow…Everyone,” Tory said, just barely audible. “Let them through.”

“You can’t be serious!” Rarity cried. “They’ll kill you!”

“They have to do this,” Tory said. “Just let them. You guys are my friends, and I won’t let any of you get hurt for me. Not again!”

Tears began to fall from his eyes, but the only one to notice was Rainbow Dash. She understood how much pain he was feeling. He had seen enough blood shed for him, and it sickened him. Rainbow’s anger tipped over.

“HOW CAN YOU PONIES BE SO BLIND?!!!” Rainbow shouted. “LOOK AT HIM!! DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A MAN THAT DIDN’T CARE FOR FLUTTERSHY?!! IF HE COULD’VE REDONE THAT WHOLE EVENT, HE’D HAVE SWITCHED PLACES WITH HER RIGHT AWAY!!! HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR FLUTTERSHY!!!”

“Then why didn’t he?!” asked the pegasus.

“Listen,” Tory said, stepping forward. “I’m not asking you to forgive me. But every second that we waste arguing is another second that makes Discord stronger! Are you willing to let him reclaim Equestria? Let me show you something…”

Tory lifted his shirt, letting his mark shine through. Everyone gasped. They thought only ponies could get cutie marks. After putting his shirt down, he unsheathed one of his daggers. He aimed the blade at his chest, and slashed diagonally. It cut through the fabric with ease, and tore at Tory’s torso.

Blood welled out of the wound, but Tory ignored the pain. Everypony stared at him in shock. His eyes were wild with anger. He looked at each pony in turn. His voice was calm when he spoke, but it carried all the pain he ever felt.

“This is only the smallest FRACTION of pain I felt when Fluttershy died!” He said. “Every day I’ve been apart from her, I had thought of taking this dagger, and claiming my own life. You know why I didn’t? Because that would be an insult to what she did... Now I offer you the choice.” Tory held the dagger out, implying that somepony should take it. “You want to kill me? Now’s your chance! Go ahead, stab me, cut me, kill me however you want! You’d be doing me a favor!”

The ponies looked at him like he was crazy. Each of them looked into his eyes, and saw he was serious. Some backed away, others lowered their head. The truth of his words shook them. Tory took the silence as a reason to continue.

“…Well, what are you waiting for?!” He shouted. “You wanted to avenge Fluttershy didn’t you?! I’m the one that let her die… No takers? I didn’t think so! All of you understand that my death won’t bring her back. I came to accept that killing Discord wouldn’t either, but I’m still going to hunt him down! He is a bloodthirsty tyrant that MUST, BE, STOPPED!!!”

Some of the ponies nodded, the realization coming over them. They took up positions between Tory’s friends, showing their support of him. He kept the dagger out, still showing that his offer was available. The other ponies turned away, not wanting to look at him. If they did they knew they’d break down. The conviction in his eyes said everything.

Other ponies still looked unconvinced, and advanced on him. Rainbow Dash and Derpy kept the pegasi away, while everyone else turned the others away. Suddenly, Tory felt his heart pulse. His vision became blurry, and his legs gave in. He buckled, and hit the ground; the dagger skidding off to the side. He was vaguely aware of Rainbow at his side, and he smiled at her. Tory closed his eyes and lost consciousness…

I.I.I

The scent of rose drifted into Tory’s nose. He knew Fluttershy was here, otherwise he wouldn’t be smelling it. He tried to open his eyes, but they refused to move. He felt something soft beside him, and smiled. He reached over, and began to stroke the familiar pink hair that belonged to his now lost wife.

“Don’t worry Tory,” she whispered into his ear. “You’ll be fine. You have Rainbow with you now.”

“I know,” he said. “And I’m glad I have her…But Fluttershy, this seems wrong. I feel like I’m cheating on you.”

“How can it be cheating if I approve?” the golden pegasus asked. “You two need each other, so much more than I needed you. She was so lonely, and her fear of losing others kept her distant. You were lonely too, even when I was beside you.”

Tory sighed, knowing she was right. Fluttershy always had a way of telling how he felt. Yeah, he saw her every night, and yes it made him happier…but only a little. He knew that they would never be together again. That realization had hurt almost as much as her death did. To have her right beside him, but unable to fully enjoy her presence made Tory lose faith.

Then Rainbow came along, and said she loved him. The look in her eyes just proved it more. She said she was willing to wait forever, that she would do everything to support him. Tory couldn’t ignore her feelings. He had tried to keep away from others, but it seemed they flocked to him almost. He suppressed another sign, and stroked Fluttershy’s hair again.

“You’re right,” Tory admitted. “I guess I did need her. Why is it you always seem to know what we all need?”

“Call it intuition,” Fluttershy said, giggling. Tory heard her get up, and the sound of her walking away. “I’m sorry, but I have to go now. This may be the last time we ever talk again Tory. I just wanted to say that I’m glad you were there…I love you so much. Good-bye.”

“No, it’s not good-bye,” Tory said smiling. “I know you’ll always be with me. I’ll know every time I look at Rainbow, and think about how you helped us. You’ve done so much for me, things I can never begin to repay. I’ll never stop loving you Fluttershy, never.”

Tory’s vision returned for a second, and he saw his beautiful wife, smiling sadly at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but Tory knew they were tears of happiness. He blinked, and she was gone. He felt something press up against his chest, the pain from his wound returning, and knew it was time to go back.

As he opened his eyes, Tory felt a tear roll down his face. He blinked it away to see Rainbow Dash standing over him. She looked like she had just cried. He pulled her to him, and wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort him. She stopped shaking, and relaxed under his gentle touch.

“Tory, are you okay?” she asked. “You weren’t breathing, you didn’t say anything. I was worried.”

“Easy now,” he said, stroking her hair with a free hand. “I’m fine now, I really am. A certain pony said she approved of a certain blue pegasus, so I’m actually better.”

“What…What do you mean?” Rainbow asked.

“Rainbow, Fluttershy came to me,” he told her. “She’s fine with me and you. In fact, she said she wanted this. Rainbow Dash, I love you.”

She gasped, as did the other ponies around them. Tory looked at each of them in turn, his eyes daring them to argue. His eyebrows raised when he noticed Celestia was standing there among them. For what purpose could she be here for?

Before Tory could collect his thoughts, Rainbow jumped on him, wrapping her hooves around his neck. She kissed him passionately, and didn’t break away until she remembered that her friends were watching. She looked at them, a blush on her face, and backed off of Tory. He kind of wished she hadn’t.

“Well it took you long enough Rainbow!” Pinkie said, bouncing up to her friend. “I thought you’d NEVER fall in love!”

“Quite,” Rarity said coming up, a gleam in her eyes. “No wonder you two were acting so differently this morning.”

“And all it took was the o.k from Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, joining them. “But Tory, don’t you think it’s too soon?”

“Aw, leave ‘em be Twilight!” Applejack called, a smile on her face. “Why ruin a perfectly good moment?”

Everyone laughed. The mood had lightened up considerably now. Tory looked from one pony to another, seeing the humor in their eyes. He turned back to Rainbow, and pulled her into him. He ran his hands through her hair, listening to her squeal in delight. Tory couldn’t resist her anymore, and kissed her.

But, I’ve still got a question,” Tory said as he finished. He turned to Celestia, a curious look on his face. “Just what might you be doing here Princess?”

“I happened to be in town today” she explained. “When I heard the commotion, I ran over.”

“Just what happened while I was out?” Tory asked, looking at Rainbow.

I.I.I Flashback I.I.I

Rainbow Dash was scared out of her mind. Tory just cut himself, and held the dagger out for anypony to take. He was telling them about why he didn’t kill himself, and how if they truly had the guts to go through with it, they should just kill him on the spot. She had almost cried when he said this. The look in his eyes had been so fierce, so distraught, that she could hardly believe it was the same Tory she held feelings for.

Then some of the ponies gave in, and forgot their hate. They knew he was making sense when he said that his death wouldn’t avenge Fluttershy, and that their common enemy was Discord. Rainbow was about to hug Tory when he collapsed on the ground. That was when all hell broke loose.

Rainbow Dash abandoned her spot in the sky, and rushed down to help him. She called out his name, but he didn’t respond. His eyes were clouded over, and she saw he wasn’t breathing. Then she heard one of the ponies scream.

Looking up, Rainbow saw that an earth pony that still hated Tory had picked up his knife. He had tried to rush past the front line, but Rarity had stopped him by grabbing him with her magic. Another pony took the knife from him, and continued through. Rainbow pulled herself together, and charged at that one, knocking them into the air with a swift punch. She accidentally cut her face on the blade as she did so. The knife was yanked from them by a passing pegasus, who made a beeline for Tory. Derpy had intercepted, showing a brute strength none had ever seen before.

Rainbow just backed up to Tory, begging him to wake up. She knew he wouldn’t die, but the longer he was out, the more danger he was in. She had considered lifting him up and flying out of there, but with the skies so crowded with pissed pegasi, odds of getting him away safely were slim.

Then Celestia came out of nowhere, her wings sending gales upon the fighting ponies. Everyone stopped what they were doing as she landed. The alicorn looked at all of the attackers, her glare making them flinch.

“How dare you!” Celestia said, her voice filled with anger. “You don’t know what this boy has gone through. He’s had the misfortune of being hated for so long, of being used by Discord, and losing the only one to ever love him! What gives you the right to say he must die?!”

Rainbow sighed in relief as she felt the battle die down. She was worried that nothing would stop those ponies from claiming Tory’s life. It was just a stroke of luck that Celestia made an appearance now of all times.

“Can any of you say you’ve suffered as much as Tory has?” Celestia challenged. “Were any of you ever rejected, spurned by everypony, and hated for being who you were? Have you ever felt the pain of watching your loved ones die in your arms?! I should think not! Let me show you what happened that day, when Discord returned.”

Rainbow saw Celestia’s horn glow bright, and everypony’s vision changed. what they saw now was the maze behind the castle. They were seeing what Celestia saw that day! Everypony watched in silence as they saw Tory rise into the air, struggling. They heard the malicious laughter of Discord, and saw him break free from the statue. Rainbow was horrified as she saw this. She had not been there in the beginning.

She saw her friends get defeated one by one, until Luna came in with Pinkie and Rainbow. She watched as she saw herself attack Discord, and was promptly turned to stone. Everypony felt a shudder go down their spine as they watched. It was terrifying for them, when they had never seen real trouble. They saw Fluttershy carried into the air, and heard her cry out for Tory. They saw him break free of Discord’s grasp, and smash the demon to the ground.

The memory continued to play out, as they saw Tory fight Discord with a ferocity that had never been seen by anypony in existence. It amazed them at how much one being could do when pushed so far. They saw him deal a potentially fatal blow to the demon, and heard the agonizing scream that erupted from it’s body.

Then they saw how Discord had taken Tory’s sword and attempted to kill him with it, hitting Fluttershy instead. Everypony watched in silence as they saw her die. Rainbow couldn’t suppress the tears at seeing everything again. It hurt so much the first time, why should she have to relive it again? She watched in silence as Tory called Celestia over, and made her perform the wedding ceremony.

It tugged at everypony’s heart when they saw him kiss Fluttershy, and how he sang to her as she died. They all wailed when Tory did. How could they have thought so badly of someone who grieved so strongly for Fluttershy? Many of the attackers began to kick themselves after seeing this. But the memory wasn’t over yet. They heard him beg for Celestia about a spell, heard him cry out his challenge to the sky, and saw him storm off.

As the memory ended, all of the ponies lowered their heads. They couldn’t believe what they had just saw. Rainbow was still crying as it ended, as were the other ponies that had been there. Celestia turned away, her own tears clouding her vision. Some of the ponies that attacked turned around and left, their hate forgotten after seeing just what really happened.

Rainbow Dash walked slowly over to Tory, and flopped down beside him. After seeing everything again, she just couldn’t control herself anymore. She shed a couple more tears before putting her head on Tory’s chest. He felt warm, and it comforted her to know that he was still fine. There was a weak scent of roses around him, which confused her.

Then Rainbow heard a groan come from Tory, and she got up. She saw a tear roll down his face, and smiled when he pulled her into a hug. She knew that she had made the right choice when it came to love…

I.I.I End Flashback I.I.I

“All that happened while I was unconscious?” Tory asked.

“Yeah,” Rainbow said.

After Tory woke up, many of the ponies apologized to him for their actions. He forgave them, naturally, which made them feel even worse. He forgave them like that, when they had tried to kill him? Now he was sitting there with his friends, listening to Rainbow Dash tell him what went on. They clustered around him protectively, as though another pony could attack any second now.

“That explains how you got that slash on your beautiful face,” Tory said.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” Rainbow said, blushing.

Tory put his hands on her face, and she felt a tingling sensation run throughout her. He smiled as he pulled his hands away, and Rainbow felt the sting from the cut vanish. She reached up with a hoof, and found the mark was gone.

“There, good as new,” Tory said with a smile.

After all of that was done, the group and Celestia walked over to Twilight’s library. It was the only place to hold a quiet meeting. Everypony and the two humans sat down, waiting for somepony to break the silence.

“So, what’s our plan?” Twilight asked. “What do we do next?”

They all turned to Tory, which surprised him. Surely they were kidding? They all expected him to make such a large decision? He wondered what to say, thinking carefully about every pro and con that would result from each action. Celestia cleared her throat, and Tory was grateful that she had something to say.

“If I may,” Celestia began, “I found out something that might interest you all, especially you Tory.”

“What’s up?” Tory asked plainly. She wasn’t acting as a princess right now. She was just another pony at the moment.

“I discovered a secret about the Everfree castle. I’m sure you remember, where the Elements were recovered?” Celestia asked. After they all nodded, she continued. “Well, it turns out there is a hidden level underneath it.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Rainbow asked beside Tory.

“The hidden level is known as the Cloister of Love. I searched some of the royal library’s oldest books about it, and discovered something fascinating.” Celestia told them. “Apparently, anyone who make it down to the end is granted any wish that their heart desires…Tory, if you wanted to, you could wish Fluttershy back to life.”

Tory’s eyes flashed with excitement, but only for a second. He looked at all of his friends, his expression unreadable. He shook his head.

“No,” Tory said.

“What?!” Rarity burst out. She was so sure that Tory would be elated to bring Fluttershy back. “But Tory, why not? You were so miserable without her!”

“I know,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I should bring her back to life. If I did, she could just as easily die again. I’ve gone through that pain once, and I never want to experience it again. Besides, I’m with Rainbow here. If Fluttershy was brought back, I’d have to choose between them. How could I do that to the most beautiful ponies in my life?”

Everypony knew he was right. They didn’t say it out loud, but they agreed with him. Tory looked so hurt, knowing that he had the chance to bring her back, but couldn’t take it. Rainbow also looked in pain, but there was something different in her eyes. It wasn’t one of triumph, or one of gratitude. It was the look of someone in deep thought.

“Listen, I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring back Fluttershy, I really am.” Tory said solemnly. “But I can’t do it. I’ve already come to terms with her death…I’m sorry everyone, I am. I know how much you wanted to bring her back too. But I’m not going to do this.”

With that, Tory left the room. Silence gripped the remaining ponies like ice. Each one of them wanted to bring Fluttershy back, but they wanted to respect his wishes. Finally, Rainbow Dash spoke up, confidence in her voice.

“I say we should bring her back anyways!” Rainbow said, getting up. “As much as he says he doesn’t want to do this, we all know he does. Let’s just go to the ruins and bring Fluttershy back ourselves!”

“I’m afraid we can’t,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “The doors to the Cloister will only open for someone that is truly in love. Tory was the only one that could open them.”

The meeting was called to a close, and they all went their separate ways. Rainbow tried to find Tory, but it seemed as though he completely disappeared. Her eyes clouded with tears as she thought of how much pain he must be feeling right now.

“Celestia said that only someone truly in love could open the doors.” Rainbow thought to herself. “If Tory won’t do it, then I will! He may be willing to go on, but I won’t if I know he can’t truly be happy! I said I’d support him, and that is just what I’m gonna do! I’ll get Fluttershy back, and they can be happy again! I don’t care if Tory picks her over me, so long as he’s happy again!”

Rainbow smiled at the plan. She would leave at dawn, and make the journey herself. No one would notice if she was gone for maybe a few hours. And wouldn’t Tory be so surprised to see Fluttershy again? He’d hold her close again, stroke her hair like he used to, and finally smile like he always did by her side. Rainbow let a tear fall at the thought. She knew what she was about to give up, but she knew without a doubt that she had to do this.

Rainbow Dash flew back to her place to find Tory waiting on a soft cloud. He motioned for her to lie down beside him, and she did with a smile and a blush. They watched the sun set, and listened to the sound of the breeze. It made Rainbow Dash drowsy, but she kept her head up. She looked into Tory’s eyes, and kissed him gently.

Tory watched her fall asleep. He listened to her soft breathing, and saw her smile while she was lost in her dreams. He wondered what she was dreaming. Tory felt so different around her than he did around Fluttershy. Rainbow had this passionate flair about her that made him feel confident in whatever he did.

She sighed in her sleep, and Tory smiled. He wished he could spend forever like this, just watching her so peacefully. He treasured every second he had with her, knowing that it could be their last. He never let his eyes close, he didn’t let the exhaustion claim him. Tory knew that even the best dreams he could have, even if they were of her, were nothing compared to the real thing.

He slowly snuggled up next to her, and felt Rainbow’s heart beating. It sped up continuously, and Tory wondered just what she was dreaming. A blush was seen on her face, but only barely. He wondered if she was dreaming of him. He leaned down, and kissed her gently between the eyes. She squirmed a bit, but she didn’t wake.

“Thank Celestia I have her,” Tory thought. “I just want to be with Rainbow, now and forever. I don’t want to miss a single thing while I’m with her. Not a smile, not a kiss! I just want to stay by her, and feel her beside me, forever.”

Tory looked up at the stars, and smiled. A single tear fell down his face, but it was one of happiness. The sound of Rainbow’s breathing and the breeze finally lulled him to sleep. He dreamt that he was flying beside her, soaring across all of Equestria. It was the first happy dream he’d enjoyed since the battle…

I.I.I

Cory was content. Things were going smoothly for everypony and the humans they called friends. Tory was with Rainbow Dash, he was getting closer to Twilight with every second, and even Grace was becoming close to Big Macintosh. Even though they all knew there would be hard trials ahead of them, they were happy enjoying the moment’s reprieve.

Cory heard flapping behind him, and saw Tory rushing towards him. The look on his face was not a good one, and Cory tensed up. What had happened now to get him so worked up?

“Tory, what wrong?” he asked his friend.

“I can’t find her anywhere Cory!” Tory said, his voice breaking. “I’ve searched all of her usual spots, asked everypony she knew, but I can’t find her!”

“What are you talking about dude?”

“She’s gone,” Tory said, tears falling down his eyes. “Rainbow Dash is gone!”